UC-NRLF 

lllllll 

$B    307    DOl 


fiffliiiri! 


llliii! 


1U5INE5 
ENGLISH 


■iiiiii 
I 


MR.   C.  A.  GLOVTR, 

PACIFIC  GROVr, 
<  A  L  1  F  0  R  r;  I  A 


ROSS'S 
BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


A  TREATISE  ON  ENGLISH  AS  IT 
IS  USED  IN  MODERN  BUSINESS. 
^  FOR  USE  IN  COMMERCIAL 
DEPARTMENTS  OF  PRIVATE 
AND  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 


BY 

J.  WALTER  ROSS 


PUBLISHED    BY 

South-Western  Publishing  Company 
Cincinnati,  O. 

191S 


Copyright,  19 15 
SOUTH-WESTERN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
Cincinnati,  Ohio 
EDUCATION  D^lr^a 


PREFACE 

The  plan  of  presentation  used  in  this  book  differs  from 
that  which  is  usually  followed.  The  definition  of  a  part  of 
speech,  its  properties,  and  syntax  are  treated  in  the  same 
chapter  instead  of  in  two  or  three  different  parts  of  the  book. 
The  advantage  claimed  for  this  plan  is  that  it  allows  the 
student  to  concentrate  his  attention  upon  each  part  of  speech 
a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  get  it  thoroughly  fixed  in  mind. 
Again,  this  immediate  following  of  syntax  enables  him  to 
see  why  he  should  learn  to  discriminate  between  parts  of 
speech  and  understand  their  properties. 

By  constant  review  the  student's  mind  is  kept  refreshed 
upon  the  details  of  language  organization  and  their  logical 
relations  to  one  another.  This  prevents  the  confusion 
so  liable  to  result  from  the  usual  manner  of  treatment. 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  order  to  carry  out  this  plan  con- 
sistently and  effectively,  it  is  necessary  to  present  the  parts 
of  speech  in  a  rather  radically  different  order  from  that 
usually  followed.  It  is  hoped  that  this  will  not  be  hastily 
condemned  for  the  reason  that  it  is  different;  it  is  believed 
that  unbiased  consideration  will  show  it  to  be  as  logical 
as  it  is  unusual. 

Much  that  is  found  in  many  grammars  has  been  omitted 
in  this  book.  Hair-splitting  distinctions  and  technical 
questions  have  been  purposely  avoided.  Our  aim  is  to 
teach  thoroughly  those  things  which  are  essential  to  the 
writing  of  grammatically  correct  English. 

In  the  exercises  on  punctuation,  the  paragraph  instead 
of  the  single  sentence  is  used.  This  affords  a  constant 
review  of  full  stop  marks  and  develops  the  sentence  sense. 

54IU80  '" 


IV  PREFACE 

In  the  section  on  letter  writing,  the  student  is  not  only 
led  by  easy  steps  to  a  mastery  of  the  mechanical  makeup, 
but  is  also  given  valuable  information  bearing  upon  the 
general  laws  of  business  composition. 

The  material  used  in  illustrations  and  exercises  has  been 
gathered  from  many  sources.  Only  a  small  portion  of  it 
is  original.  In  a  few  instances  practically  entire  exercises 
have  been  appropriated  from  the  works  of  the  following 
authors:  H.  A.  Hagar,  Glen  Arnold  Grove,  Carrie  J.  Smith 
and  D.  D.  Mayne.  For  valuable  ideas  and  material,  we 
are  also  especially  indebted  to  Edwin  Herbert  Lewis,  Ph. 
D.,  LL.  D.,  and  H.  I.  Strang.  Special  acknowledgment  is 
due  to  "Business  Correspondence,"  published  by  The 
System  Co.,  for  ideas  and  material  used  in  the  lesson  de- 
voted to  the  selling  letter. 

The  Author. 


CONTENTS 

Nouns —  PAGES 

Definition,    classification,    properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review 1-16 

Adjectives — 

Definition,     classification,     properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review 17-36 

Verbs — 

Definition,    classification,    properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review 37~82 

Adverbs — 

Definition,    classification,    properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review 83-100 


Prepositions — 

Definition,    classification,     properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review loi-i  1 1 


Conjunctions — 

Definition,    classification,     properties,    syntax, 
exercises,  and  review 1 12-122 


Pronouns — 

Definition,    classification,     properties,    syntax, 

exercises,  and  review 123-152 

v 


VI  CONTENTS 

Capitalization  and  Punctuation — 

Rules,  illustrations,  and  exercises 153-207 

Letter  Writing — 

Instruction  and  exercises  in  form  and  arrange- 
ment      208-227 

Composition  and  classification 228-258 

Abbreviations 258-262 

Index 263-271 


ROSS'S  BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


THE  PARTS  OF   SPEECH 


NOUNS 
A  noun  is  a  word  used  to  name  something. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  NOUNS 

A  common  noun  is  a  name  that  applies  to  all  objects 
of  the  same  class: 

The  firm  carries  a  full  line  of  hoots,  shoes,  hats,  and  caps. 
He  saw  in  the  window  a  box  of  paper,  a  hook,  some  penSy 
a  puzzle,  and  some  magazines. 

A  proper  noun  is  the  name  of  a  particular  person,  place, 
or  thing: 

James  and  John  visited  Chicago.   While  there  they  stayed 
at  the  Sherman  Hotel. 

A  proper  noun  should  always  begin  with  a  capital  letter. 

Exercise  1 

Classify  the  italicized  nouns  in  the  following  sentences. 
Rewrite,  capitalizing  proper  nouns : 

1.  The  course  consists  of  the  study  of  grammar,  arith- 
metic, penmanship,  bookkeeping,  and  law. 

2.  We  read  in  our  histories  of  the  landing  of  the  pil- 
grims. 


2  ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  The  congregation  was  in  tears. 

4.  England  has  a  large  army  and  a  powerful  waz;^'. 

5.  George  Washington  was   the    first   president   of   the 
united  states. 

6.  Each  waw  must  take  his  turn. 

7.  He  received  a  /e//er  from  j.   s.   browning,   howling 
green,  kentucky. 

8.  We  were  talking  with  senator  Johnson. 

9.  A  book  entitled  the  panama  canal  has  been  written 
by  frederic  j.  haskin. 

10.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  united  states  to  establish  and 
maintain  a  government  in  cuba,  of  some  5or^,  as  much  as  it 
is  her  duty  to  maintain  a  similar  government  in  alaska  or 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  COMMON  NOUNS 

Common  nouns  are  divided  into  four  classes :  abstract, 
collective,  verbal,  and  class. 

An  abstract  noun  is  the  name  of  a  quality,  condition, 
or  an  action,  considered  abstractly ;  that  is,  apart  from  its 
natural  connection : 

He  rendered  valuable  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  the 
manuscript. 

He  is  a  man  of  academic  wisdom. 

Necessity  is  the  certain  connection  between  cause  and 
effect. 

The  greatest  pleasure  I  know  is  to  do  a  good  action  by 
stealth,  and  to  have  it  found  out  by  accident. 

Most  abstract  nouns  are  derived  from  other  parts  of 
speech ;  as,  assistance  from  assist;  preparation  from  pre- 
pare; wisdom  from  wise;  necessity  from  necessary;  pleasure 
from  please;    action  from  act. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  3 

Exercise  2 

Tell  from  what  word  each  of  the  following  abstract  nouns 
is  derived : 


judgment 

patriotism 

brotherhood 

wisdom 

justice 

length 

agency 

choice 

simplicity 

belief 

imagination 

deceit 

unity 

service 

partnership 

manhood 

infancy 

patience 

occupation 

freedom 

Form  abstract  nouns  from  the  following  ' 

words : 

move 

high 

king 

see 

speak 

red 

wide 

brave 

thieve 

stupid 

regular 

noble 

serve 

child 

deceive 

relieve 

prudent 

master 

friend 

honest 

A  collective  noun  is  the  name  of  a  collection  of  persons 
or  things: 

The  congregation  was  in  tears. 
The  shepherd  was  tending  his  flock. 
The  committee  is  ready  to  report. 
The  fleet  returned  to  Spain. 


Exercise  3 


Name  collective  nouns  that  will  embrace  groups  of  each 
of  the  following  individual  nouns : 


horse 

bird 

fish 

"  pupil 

bee 

soldier 

book 

ship 

ruffian 

worshiper 

man 

sheep 

4  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

A  verbal  noun  is  a  noun  ending  in  ing  that  is  the  name  of 
an  action  or  of  a  state  of  being: 

Walking  is  healthful  exercise. 
He  spread  his  blessing  over  the  land. 
There  is  no  time  for  such  reasonings. 
Do  you  insist  on  our  keeping  the  goods? 

It  should  be  noted  that  these  words  do  not  express  action, 
but  are  the  names  of  actions.    Compare  these  two  sentences  : 

(Expressing  action)     Mary  is  singing  an  old  song. 
(Naming  action)     Mary's  singing  is  very  sweet. 

Exercise  4 

Tell  whether  the  italicized  nouns  are  abstract,  collective, 
or  verbal : 

1.  Your  goodness  must  have  some  edge  to  it — else  it 
is  none. 

2.  It  was  the  boy's  lying  that  enraged  the  teacher. 

3.  Our  greatest  glory  is  not  in  never  falling,  but  in 
rising  every  time  we  fall. 

4.  The  jury's  finding  for  the  plaintiff  was  a  surprise 
to  all. 

5.  The  herd  was  quietly  grazing. 

6.  Victory  is  born  of  endurance. 

7.  We  know  that  he  will  succeed  in  his  undertaking. 

8.  The  committee  considered  him  for  a  director. 

9.  The  singing  of  the  nightingale  is  a  great  treat. 
ID.     England's  strength  lies  in  her  navy. 

11.  Yachting  is  a  pleasant  pastime. 

12.  A  committee  is  a  miniature  assembly. 

13.  The  army  was  delayed  by  the  burning  of  the  bridges. 

14.  Kindness  is  commendable. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  5 

15.  The  warmth  and  closeness  of  the  room  oppressed  me. 

16.  The  river  was  deepened  by  dredging. 

17.  Thoughtfulness  and  gentleness  are  stored  away  with 
heedlessness  in  a  noisy  boy. 

18.  The   choir  sang   "Elijah." 

19.  The  joy  of  acquiring  knowledge  is  a  compensation  for 
the  necessary  labor. 

A  class  noun  is  any  common  noun  that  is  not  a  collective, 
an  abstract,  or  a  verbal  noun ;    as,  chair,  book,  door,  etc. 


Exercise  5 

Copy  the  nouns,  arranging  abstract  nouns  in  the  first 
column,  collective  in  the  second,  verbal  in  the  third,  and 
class  in  the  fourth  : 

1.  Misery  and  vice  love  company. 

2.  The  lady's  singing  pleased  the  audience. 

3.  A  letter  is  a  form  of  composition. 

4.  Writing  for  a  long  time  becomes  tedious. 

5.  Harry's  eating  green  apples  made  him  sick. 

6.  Your   son's   accepting   a   position   like   this   is   for- 
tunate. 

7.  Good  reading  elevates  the  understanding. 

8.  A  host  of  Indian  warriors  rushed  across  the  plain. 

9.  We  gazed  with   pleasure  on  those  happy  islands. 

10.  I  did  not  think  of  your  leaving  so  soon. 

1 1 .  The  doorstep  to  the  temple  of  wisdom  is  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  own  ignorance. 

12.  Frugality  may  be  termed  the  daughter  of  prudence, 
the  sister  of  temperance,  and  the  parent  of  liberty. 

13.  The  army  halted  for  two  days  to  collect  food. 


O  ROSS  S    BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

14.  Laziness  travels  so  slowly  that  poverty  overtakes 
him. 

15.  The  crowd  is  becoming  noisy. 

16.  The  committee  is  composed  of  two  men  and  three 
women. 

17.  The  cost  of  running  this  machine  is  very  high. 

18.  I  like  the  simplicity  of  his  remarks. 

19.  Webster  was  a  man  whom  the  country  will  remem- 
ber with   pride. 

20.  The  savage  army  was  in  war-paint,  plumed  for 
battle. 

PROPERTIES  OF  NOUNS 
NUMBER 

Number  is  that  quality  of  a  word  which  shows  whether 
it  refers  to  one  or  more  than  one. 

Singular  number  refers  to  one ;  as,  month,  book, 
table,  pencil,  etc. 

Plural  number  refers  to  more  than  one ;  as,  months, 
books,  tables,  pencils,  etc. 

Plurals  of  most  singular  nouns  are  formed  by  adding  5 
or  es  to  the  singular ;  as,  state,  states ;  note,  notes ;  book, 
books ;    box,  boxes ;    dish,  dishes. 

Nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  vowel  (a,  e,  i,  0,  u)  add 
5 ;  as,  valley,  valleys ;    attorney,  attorneys. 

Nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  consonant  (any  letter 
other  than  a  vowel)  change  y  to  i  and  add  es ;  as,  candy, 
candies ;    army,  armies. 

Most  nouns  ending  in  /  or  fe  add  5 ;  as,  scarf,  scarfs ; 
safe,  safes. 

A  few  change  /  or  fe  to  v  and  add  es ;  as,  wife,  wives ; 
beef,  beeves. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  7 

Most  nouns  ending  in  o  preceded  by  a  consonant  add  es  ; 
as,  tomato,  tomatoes  ;  cargo,  cargoes  ;  volcano,  volcanoes ; 
motto,  mottoes ;    negro,  negroes. 

Nouns  ending  in  o  preceded  by  a  vowel  add  s ;  as,  studio, 
studios ;  cameo,  cameos ;  folio,  folios :  nuncio,  nuncios ; 
trio,  trios. 

Many  nouns  form  their  plurals  irregularly ;  as,  man, 
men ;    ox,  oxen ;    goose,  geese ;    foot,  feet ;    mouse,  mice. 

Letters,  figures,  characters,  etc.,  add  the  apostrophe 
and  5  ;  as,  6,  6's  ;  x,  x's  ;   *,  *'s. 

In  forming  the  plurals  of  proper  names  where  a  title  is 
used,  either  the  title  or  the  name  may  be  put  in  the  plural 
form ;   as,  the  Misses  Brown  or  the  Miss  Browns. 

Some  nouns  are  the  same  in  both  singular  and  plural ; 
as,  deer,  series,  means,  gross,  sheep,  etc. 

Some  nouns  are  always  plural  in  form,  but  singular  in 
meaning ;    as,  politics,  news,  molasses,  ethics. 

Some  nouns  have  two  plurals  that  differ  in  meaning : 

brothers  (same  family)  brethren  (same  society) 

shots  (times  fired)  shot  (number  of  balls) 

fishes  (individuals)  '         fish  (quantity) 
heads  (of  bodies)  head  (cattle) 

pennies  (coins)  pence  (value  in  pennies) 

Foreign  nouns  usually  retain  their  plurals  of  the  language 
from  which  they  come : 

Singular  Plural 

datum  data 

memorandum  memoranda 

analysis  analyses 

terminus  termini 

basis  bases 


8 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


Compound  nouns  are  those  formed  by  the  union  of 
two  words,  either  two  nouns  or  a  noun  joined  to  some 
descriptive  word  or  phrase ;  as,  man-servant,  mother-in- 
law,  attorney-at-law. 

The  plural  number  of  compound  nouns  is  usually  shown 
by  adding  s  to  the  principal  word  ;  as,  mothers-in-law, 
courts-martial.  In  a  few  compounds  both  parts  take  a 
plural  form ;    as,  men-servants,  knights-templars. 


Exercise  6 

Write  the  plural,  if  any,  of  every  singular  noun  in  the 
following  list;  and  the  singular,  if  any,  of  every  plural 
noun.  Note  those  having  no  singular  and  those  having 
no  plural. 

When  in  doubt  about  any  of  these  forms,  consult  an 
unabridged  dictionary : 


news 

goods 

thanks 

scissors 

proceeds 

puppy 

studio 

survey 

attorney 

arch 

belief 

chief 

charity 

half 

hero 

negro 

joy 

Mary 

voter 

memento 

majority 

lily 

knight-templar 

why 

knight-errant 

4 

son-in-law 

Miss  Smith 

Mr.  Anderson 

country-man  hanger-on 

oxen 

major-general 

geese 

man-servant 

strata 

brethren 

sheep 

mathematics 

pride 

money 

pea 

head 

piano 

veto 

knives 

ratios 

alumni 

feet 

wolves 

president 

sailor-boy 

spoonful 

rope-ladder 

attorney-general 

go-between 

grandmother 

synopses 

memoranda 

pence 

crisis 

valley 

axis 

monkey 

beauty 

cupful 

jockey 

toy 

ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  9 

GENDER 

Gender  is  that  quality  of  a  noun  or  pronoun  that  dis- 
tinguishes objects  in  regard  to  sex. 

There  are  four  genders:  masculine,  feminine,  com- 
mon, and  neuter. 

The  masculine  gender  denotes  males;  as,  man,  boy, 
king. 

The  feminine  gender  denotes  females;  as,  woman, 
girl,  queen. 

The  common  gender  denotes  males  or  females,  or  both  ; 
as,  student,  person,  friend. 

The  neuter  gender  denotes  objects  without  sex ;  as, 
book,  stone,  house. 

When  neuter  nouns  represent  objects  possessing  strength, 
size,  or  other  qualities  usually  found  in  males,  they  are 
referred  to  as  masculine;  when  they  represent  gentleness, 
beauty,  or  other  qualities  peculiar  to  females,  they  are 
referred  to  as  feminine.  Thus,  we  speak  of  the  sun,  the 
north  wind,  winter,  as  masculine ;  of  the  moon  and  spring, 
as  feminine. 

In  speaking  of  young  children  or  of  the-  lower  animals, 
the  sex  is  generally  disregarded  and  the  neuter  form  it  is  used. 

The  present-day  tendency  is  to  drop  the  suffix  ess  and 
to  use  such  words  as  author,  editor,  poet,  doctor,  to  denote 
persons  of  either  sex. 

Exercise  7 

Rule  a  sheet  of  paper  in  four  columns,  heading  them 
noun,  kind,  number,  gender.  Classify  the  nouns  in  the 
following  sentences  : 

I.     Formosa  is  famous  for  the  production  of  tea  and 
camphor. 


10  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

2.  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever. 

3.  Rice  is  the  chief  food  of  the  Japanese. 

4.  Nobleness  enkindleth  nobleness. 

5.  The  jury  disagreed  among  themselves. 

6.  The  fairest  flower  in  the  garden  of  friendship  is 
remembrance. 

7.  Patience  is  a  bitter  seed,  but  it  yields  rich  fruit. 

8.  Modesty  is  one  of  the  sweetest  and  most  desirable 
qualities  one  can  possess. 

9.  The   speaker's  eloquence   held   the   audience  spell- 
bound. 

10.  A  hero  will  do  whatever  duty  demands. 

1 1 .  Every  member  of  the  committee  faithfully  performed 
his  duty. 

12.  The  news  of  the  enemy's  movements  was  a  surprise 
to  every  soldier  in  the  regiment. 

13.  The  class  in  grammar  will  recite  at  the  usual  hour. 

14.  Few  girls  find   mathematics  an  interesting  study. 

15.  Will  you  go  to  yonder  house  and  ask  that  man  to 
bring  those  horses? 

16.  A  scorner  seeketh  wisdom  and  findeth  it  not. 

17.  The  use  of  the  compass  was  known  to  the  Chinese 
before  the  time  of  the  Crusades. 

18.  Mica  is  sometimes  used  in  making  lamp  chimneys. 

19.  The  ring  contains  a  diamond  from  Australia  and  a 
pearl  from  Persia. 

20.  Many  men  risk  their  health  by  overwork. 


POSSESSIVE  FORM  OF  NOUNS 

The  possessive  form  is  used  to  show  possession,  origin, 
kind,  authorship ;  as,  John's  hat,  Longfellow's  poems, 
boys'  shoes,  the  moon's  beams. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


II 


Singular  nouns  are  made  possessive  by  adding  the  apos- 
trophe and  s;  as,  man,  man's;  lady,  lady's. 

It  is  permissible  to  drop  the  5  in  a  few  singular  nouns 
where  the  additional  s  would  produce  a  disagreeable  suc- 
cession of  hissing  sounds ;   as,  politeness*  sake,  Moses*  law. 

Plural  nouns  which  do  not  end  in  s  are  made  possessive 
by  adding  the  apostrophe  and  s;  as,  men's,  women's, 
children's. 

Plural  nouns  which  end  in  s  are  made  possessive  by  add- 
ing the  apostrophe  only ;  as,  girls,  girls' ;  boys,  boys'. 

It  should  be  carefully  noted  that  in  forming  the  possessive 
no  change  is  made  in  the  spelling  of  the  simple  form.  The 
possessive,  in  every  instance,  is  formed  by  adding  something 
to  the  simple  form — the  apostrophe  and  5  to  a  singular,  or 
a  plural  not  ending  in  s;  the  apostrophe  only  to  a  plural 
ending  in  s. 

Exercise  8 

Write  the  possessives,  singular  and  plural,  of  the  follow- 
ing nouns: 


man 

company 

woman 

goose 

boy 

lady 

ox 

boss 

agent 

attorney 

gentleman 

hero 

firm 

child 

year 

John 

dealer 

month 

day 

Charles 

Exercise  9 


The  possessive  form,  as  its  name  implies,  usually  denotes 
ownership ;  but  it  has  other  uses.  The  possessive  sign 
added  to  a  word  is  nearly  always  equivalent  to  "of"  placed 
before  the  same  word : 


12  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

The  summer's  heat — ^The  heat  of  summer. 
Ten  years*  experience — Experience  of  ten  years. 
Thirty  days'  credit — Credit  of  thirty  days. 
A  month's  notice — ^A  notice  of  a  month. 

Substitute  phrases  for  the  following  possessives : 
T .     Byron's  works  6.     Next  season's  supply 


St.  Paul's  influence  7.  My  brother's  photograph 

An  hour's  delay  8.  A  mother's  love 

Last  month's  prices  9.  A  director's  meeting 

Sixty  days'  credit  10.  Ladies'  apartments 


Substitute  possessive  forms  for  the  following  phrases : 

1 .  The  cold  of  the  winter 

2.  The  poems  of  Longfellow 

3.  The  assassination  of  Lincoln 

4.  An  extension  of  thirty  days 

5.  The  crimes  committed  by  Nero 

6.  The  son  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany 

7.  The  antics  of  the  monkeys 

8.  The  icy  mountains  of  Greenland 

9.  The  financial  standing  of  Huss  &  Co. 
10.  The  chief  attraction  in  New  York 

SPECIAL  RULES 

To  show  joint  ownership  the  possessive  sign  must  be 
added  to  the  last  word  only ;  as,  Smith  &  Brown's  store 
(one  store  owned  by  Smith  &  Brown). 

To  show  separate  ownership  the  possessive  sign  must 
be  added  to  the  name  of  each  owner ;  as,  Smith's  and 
Brown's  stores  (two  stores  owned  separately  by  Brown  and 
Smith). 

In  compound  expressions  the  sign  of  possession  is  placed 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  1 3 

on  the  last  word  only  ;    as,  the  man-servant'' s  duties,  the 
Emperor  of  Germany's  son,  James  Roberts,  Jr.'s,  store. 

In  such  expressions  as  Hancher,  the  jeweler,  it  is  preferable 
to  put  the  sign  of  possession  on  the  last  word  ;  as,  Hancher, 
the  jeweler's.  It  is  also  correct,  however,  to  add  the  sign 
to  both  nouns,  or  the  first  only: 

I  bought  the  ring  at  Hancher,  the  jeweler's. 
I  bought  the  ring  at  Rancher's,  the  jeweler's. 
I  bought  the  ring  at  Rancher's,  the  jeweler. 

When  a  noun  modifies  a  verbal  noun  it  must  have  the 
possessive  form  : 

What  do  you  think  of  John's  turning  over  a  new  leaf  ? 
Do  you  insist  on  the  company's  delivering  the  goods? 

It  is  important  that  we  guard  carefully  against  the  rather 
prevalent  incorrect  practice  of  placing  apostrophes  in  sim- 
ple plurals;  as,  The  Brown's  have  moved  away,  Ladies' 
served  here.  Orders'  taken  for  moving.  The  apos- 
trophe is  never  used  in  forming  a  plural,  except  in  the  case 
of  figures,  characters,  etc.,  6's,  *'s,  as  explained  under 
rules  for  forming  plurals. 

Exercise  10 

Form  the  possessives  in  the  following  sentences : 

1.  Have  you   any  doubt  of  the  firms  being  able   to 
meet  its  obligations? 

2.  They  carry  a  complete  line  of  mens,  boys,  womens, 
girls,  and  childrens  clothing. 

3.  They  have  asked  for  thirty  days  time  on  their  bill. 

4.  We   certainly   shall   not   insist  on   Browns   keeping 
the  damaged  goods. 

5.  Do  you  know  whether  the   Browns  have  moved  ? 


14  ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

6.  Can  you  give  me  Kraus,  the  haberdashers,  address? 

7.  The  Globe  Companys  faikire  was  a  surprise  to  every- 
one in  the  city. 

8.  Duns  and  Bradstreets  commercial  agencies  can 
give  you  the  desired  information  as  to  John  D.  Brittingham, 
Jr.  financial  standing. 

9.  Did  you  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Eastern  Com- 
mercial Teachers  Association? 

10.  Jones  &  Smith  store  burned  last  night. 

11.  Johnson  and  Anderson  stores  are  both  on  Market 
Street. 

12.  I  did  not  think  of  Marys  coming  so  soon. 

13.  Two  months  interest  is  due. 

14.  Mr.  Green  owes  us  rent  for  two  months. 

15.  Can  you  not  give  us  an  extension  of  thirty  days 
on  our  bill  of  the  15th  inst.  ? 

16.  We  are  all  familiar  with  the  fox  remark  about  the 
grapes. 

17.  The  man  running  into  debt  was  unnecessary. 

18.  I  sent  you  a  check  for  six  months  interest  on  Brown 
and  Jones  mortgages. 

19.  Owing  to  our  competitors  cutting  prices  we  must 
withdraw  from  the  combination. 

20.  John  falling  down  stairs  caused  his  sisters  absence 
from  the  brokers  office. 

21.  The  boy  lying  and  stealing  enraged  the  teacher. 


Exercise  11 


Form  the  possessives  in  the  following  sentences 

1.  We  visited  Lyon  &  Healy  music  store. 

2.  Is  that  a  gentleman  or  lady  watch  ? 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 5 

3.  James  sister  is  a  member  of  the  Young  Women 
Christian  Association. 

4.  She  has  subscribed  for  the  Ladies  Home  Journal, 
Womans  Home  Companion,  and  Mcintosh  Monthly. 

5.  The  teacher  should  insist  on  the  student  studying 
this  lesson  thoroughly. 

6.  The  man  being  a  judge  should  not  excuse  him. 

7.  Although  we  bought  the  goods  on  sixty  days  credit, 
we  expect  to  pay  for  them  within  thirty  days. 

8.  He  is  a  teacher  of  twenty  years  experience.     He 
has  been  in  his  present  position  ten  years. 

9.  Preachers  salaries  are  not  so  large  as  they  should 
be. 

10.  The  pupils  names  were  Written  on  the  register. 

11.  For  conscience  sake  and  humanity  good,  live  a 
noble  life. 

12.  We  are  selling  women  and  children  camel  hair  vests. 

13.  Forgetting  myself,  I  left  the  man  and  the  woman 
boots  behind. 

14.  The  two  sick  servants  places  were  filled  by  our 
neighbors  daughters. 

15.  The  teachers  first,  and  perhaps  the  most  difficult, 
duty,  is  to  arouse  his  students  interest  in  the  subject  in 
hand. 

16.  More  than  a  hundred  childrens  children  rode  on 
his  knee. 

17.  In  this  place  ran  Cassius  dagger  through. 

18.  His  brother  pirates  hand  he  wrung. 

19.  Jove  but  laughs  at  lovers  perjury. 

20.  My  daughters  teacher  has  a  library  of  choice  books. 


I6  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  12 

Correct  errors  in  plurals  and  possessive  forms : 

1.  Take  two  cupsful  of  sugar,  and  one  of  flour. 

2.  He  accounted  for  all  monies  received  by  him. 

3.  There  are  three  Mary's  and  two  Lucies  in  the  class. 

4.  Eight  Henries  have  sat  on  the  throne  of  England. 

5.  I  think  her  two  son-in-laws  might  support  her. 

6.  He  generally  forgets  to  cross  his  ts  or  dot  his  is. 

7.  You  can  scarcely  tell  her  5s  from  her  3s. 

8.  Court-martials  were  held  at  various  points  to  try 
the  captured  insurgents. 

9.  How  many  cantoes  have  you  read  ? 

10.  Such  crisises  may  occur  in  the  history  of  any  enter- 
prise. 

11.  We  have  opened  several  cases  of  mens'  and  boy's 
overalls. 

12.  Look  at  the  trains  of  those  ladle's  dresses. 

13.  Six  month's  interest  is  now  due. 

14.  Ten  days  notice  is  required  in  such  cases. 

15.  Order's  for  moving  taken  here. 

16.  Special  tables  are  provided  for  ladies'. 

17.  I  saw  a  sign  with  "Boat's  to  hire"  on  it. 

18.  The  Brown's  have  moved  away. 

19.  He  made  a  memoranda  of  the  fact  in  his  notebook. 

20.  The  Fairmont  Coal  Companie's  men  are  on  a  strike. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  1 7 

ADJECTIVES 

An  adjective  is  a  word  used  to  modify  a  noun  or  a  pro- 
noun : 

The  graceful  elm  threw  its  shadows  over  the  stream. 
These  two  generous  farmers  have  a  miserly  neighbor. 
The  hold-headed  eagle  is  a  rapacious  bird. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  ADJECTIVES 

Adjectives  are  divided  into  two  general  classes :  de- 
scriptive or  qualifying  adjectives  and  definitive  or 
limiting  adjectives. 

A  descriptive  adjective  describes  or  names  some  quality 
of  the  object  expressed  by  the  noun  or  pronoun.  In  the 
examples  given  above,  graceful,  generous,  miserly,  bald-headed, 
and  rapacious  are  descriptive  adjectives.  A  descriptive 
adjective  answers  the  question,  What  kind  of?  in  connec- 
tion with  the  noun  or  pronoun  modified ;  as.  What  kind 
of  elm?    Graceful.    What  kind  of  farmers?    Generous. 

A  definitive  adjective  points  out  or  denotes  the  num- 
ber or  quantity  of  the  object  expressed  by  the  noun  or 
pronoun  modified : 

This  pamphlet  contains  ten  pages. 

This  points  out  the  particular  pamphlet  in  mind.  Ten 
tells  how  many  pages. 

PROPER  ADJECTIVES 

Adjectives  derived  from  proper  nouns  are  called  proper 
adjectives  and  should  begin  with  capital  letters ;  as,  the 
English  government,  the  American  flag. 


1 8  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  13 

Tell  what  nouns  the  italicized   adjectives  modify   and 
whether  they  are  descriptive  or  definitive : 

A  smooth,  green  lawn  pleases  the  eye. 
Many  children  suffer  from  lack  of  nutritious  food. 
Some  early  fruits  are  costly. 

A  true  lover  of  nature  studies  her  many  changing 
and  forms. 
The  iron  bridge  is  completed. 
You  will  find  him  in  the  seventh  room  on  the  third 

A  pleasant  smile  makes  a  sad  heart  glad. 

The  ribbon  is  red. 

This  noted  character  died  several  years  ago. 

My  first  short  trip  was   a  miserable  and   complete 


I 

2 

3 

4 

hues 

5 

6 

floor 

7 
8 

9 

10 


failure. 

Exercise  14 

NOUN  AND  ADJECTIVE 

The  grammatical  classification  of  a  word  is  determined 
from  its  use  in  a  sentence.  Some  words  may  be  properly 
used  as  two  or  three,  or  even  more,  parts  of  speech. 

Tell  whether  the  words  used  in  italics  are  nouns  or  adjec- 
tives, and  state  what  the  adjectives  modify : 

1.  We  heard  a  strange  sound. 

2.  A  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body  is  essential  to  success. 

3.  It  is  a  fine  day. 

4.  The  fine  was  too  heavy. 

5.  I  have  but  one  suggestion  to  make. 

6.  She  has  a  gold  watch. 

7.  Gold  was  discovered  in   California  in   1848. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  19 


8.  Right  makes  might. 

9.  You  are  pursuing  the  right  course. 

10.  A  calm  precedes  the  storm. 

11.  What  a  calm  night! 

12.  The  postman  made  his  daily  round. 

13.  His  head  is  as  round  as  an  apple. 

14.  The  oak  tree  was  struck  by  lightning. 

15.  The  desk  is  made  of  oak. 

16.  The  bear  hibernates  in  winter. 

17.  The  bear  skin  lay  on  the  floor. 

18.  The  flag  waved  over  the  fort. 

19.  This  is  pungent  ^ag  root. 

20.  The  blue  sky  was  gemmed  with  stars. 

21.  ^/we  is  her  favorite  color. 

22.  Fine  feathers  do  not  make  fine  birds. 

23.  Bishop  Spalding  is  an  eminent  divine. 

24.  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine. 


Exercise  15 


Select  the  adjectives,   tell   to  what  class  they  belong, 
and  name  the  nouns  they  modify : 

1.  American  cotton  has  the  longest  staple. 

2.  The  largest  cotton  crop  in  the  world  is  produced 
in  China. 

3.  The  loftiest,   loneliest  region  in  the  world   is  the 
cheerless  plateau  of  Thibet. 

4.  A  sacred  burden  is  this  life. 

5.  A  gracious  woman  retaineth  honor,  and  strong  men 
retain  riches. 

6.  Forty-two  choice  plants  were  ruined  by  the  fright- 
ful winter  blast. 


20  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

7.  The  rough  boy  has  become  a  most  polite  gentleman. 

8.  Will  you  go  to  yonder  house  and  ask  that  man  to 
bring  those  horses? 

9.  This  particular  man  is  honest,  sincere,  and  discreet. 

10.  The  fifteen  decisive  battles  of  the  world  mark  the 
greatest  epochs  of  history. 

11.  Helen's  father  gave  her  a  gold  watch. 

12.  Chicago  has  had  a  rapid  growth. 

13.  Mother  has  bought  a  beautiful,  rich  carpet. 

14.  The  honest  farmer,  strong  in  his  integrity,  spurned 
the  offer. 

15.  A  few  rough  men  destroyed  those  works  of  art. 

16.  A  sincere  love  sought  to  pay  him  its  grateful  tribute. 

17.  He  was  swept  on  by  an  unspent  ardor  that  made 
an  easy  and  deliberate  conversation  quite  impossible. 

18.  A  little  learning  is  a  dangerous  thing. 

19.  To  feel  an  honest  joy  at  the  success  of  another  is 
noble. 

20.  This  pencil  and  those  pens  are  mine. 


COMPOUND  ADJECTIVES 

Compound  adjectives  are  formed  by  putting  together 
two  (sometimes  more)  words  that  are  used  independently. 

The  words  composing  the  compound  adjective  are  usually 
separated  by  hyphens.  A  few  are  written  as  one  word  ; 
as,   lifelike,  homesick,   everlasting. 

When  a  compound  adjective  is  made  up  of  a  noun  and 
an  adjective,  the  singular  number  of  the  noun  is  used  ; 
as,  a  six-foot  pole,  a  twenty-story  building. 

Such  numbers  as  twenty-two  and  forty-five,  and  fractions 
when  spelled  out ;  as,  two-thirds,  three-fourths,  etc.,  are 
written  with  a  hyphen. 


21 


Exercise  16 

Place  hyphens  where  they  belong  in  the  following  sen- 
tences. Point  out  all  adjectives  and  tell  what  nouns  they 
modify : 

1 .  We  hurried  to  the  assistance  of  the  half  dead  trav- 
eler. 

2.  This  unlooked  for  burden  made  the  peasant's  life 
almost  unbearable. 

3.  Every  morning  Mr.  Allen  takes  a  bath  in  ice  cold 
water. 

4.  He  lives  in  a  walk  on  the  crack  or  be  lost  com- 
munity. 

5.  The   red    haired    boy   was   accused    of   stealing   an 
eight  day  clock. 

6.  A  hard  struggling,  weary  hearted  man  was  he. 

7.  I  was  just  emerging  from  the  many  formed  crystal 
country. 

8.  The  firm  agrees  to  accept  your  30  day  note  for  one 
half  the  amount  of  your  bill. 

9.  The  school  occupies  two  thirds  of  the  sixth   floor 
of  a  new  ten  story  building. 

10.  He  measured  the  room  with  a  three  foot  stick. 

11.  We  have  just  returned  from  a  five  mile  drive. 

12.  Our  terms  for  a  60  day  settlement  are  4  per  cent. 

13.  The  apartments  are  arranged  with  well  lighted, 
cheerful  rooms. 

14.  The  round  trip  rate  is  the  sum  of  the  east  and  west 
bound  fares,  less  10  per  cent  of  the  west  bound  fare. 

15.  The  Hub  Clothing  Co.  deals  in  "both  ready  made 
and  made  to  order  clothing. 

16.  The  blue,  mountain  bordered  lake  reflected  the 
hoary  peaks  in  its  placid  depths. 


22 


17.  The  goods  are  guaranteed  to  arrive  in  first  class 
condition. 

18.  We  can  furnish  this  article  in  either  two  or  five 
pound  packages. 

19.  What  is  the  difference  between  three  pound  pails 
and  three-pound  pails? 

20.  John  has  bought  a  double  barreled,  breech  loading 
rim  fire  shotgun. 

21.  The  coal  carrying  roads  will  benefit  by  this  improve- 
ment. 

22.  The  company's  new  offices  are  furnished  with  up 
to  date  equipments. 

23.  The   representatives   of   the  Acme   Publishing   Co. 
are  making  a  house  to  house  canvass. 

24.  The  coyote  is  a  long,  slim,  slick,  and  sorry  looking 
skeleton,  with  a  gray  wolfskin  stretched  over  it. 

25.  The  2  inch,  23/^  inch,  and  3  inch  strips  will  go  for- 
ward tomorrow. 

26.  Our  camp  was  situated  in  one  of  those  out  of  the 
ordinary  spots. 

27.  The  better  than  the  average  stenographer  under- 
stands the  use  of  hyphens  and  apostrophes. 


COMPARISON 

Adjectives  have  a  variation  of  form  to  express  a  greater 
degree  and  a  greatest  degree  of  the  quality  which  the 
adjective  expresses: 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  tall  man. 

Mr.  Smith  is  taller  than  Mr.  Jones. 

Mr.  Allen  is  the  tallest  man  in  town. 

These  three  forms  are  called  degrees  of  comparison. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  23 

POSITIVE  DEGREE 

The  simple  adjective,  like  tall,  short,  long,  is  said  to  be 
of  the  positive  degree. 

COMPARATIVE  DEGREE 

Such  forms  as  taller,  shorter,  longer,  are  said  to  be  of  the 
comparative  degree.  The  comparative  degree  of  most 
adjectives  of  one  syllable,  and  a  few  of  two  syllables,  is 
formed  by  adding  r  or  er  to  the  simple  form ;  as,  sweet, 
sweeter ;  fit,  fitter  ;  dry,  drier  ;  high,  higher  ;  able,  abler  ; 
handsome,  handsomer. 

Most  adjectives  of  more  than  one  syllable  form  the 
comparative  by  prefixing  more  or  less  to  the  positive  degree  ; 
as,  fragrant,  more  fragrant ;    elegant,  more  elegant. 

The  comparative  degree  is  used  in  comparing  two  ob- 
jects. 

SUPERLATIVE  DEGREE 

Such  forms  as  tallest,  shortest,  longest,  are  said  to  be  of 
the  superlative  degree.  The  superlative  degree  of  most 
adjectives  of  one  syllable,  and  a  few  of  two  syllables,  is 
formed  by  adding  est;  as,  high,  highest;  handsome,  hand- 
somest. 

Most  adjectives  of  more  than  one  syllable  form  the 
superlative  by  prefixing  most  or  least;  as,  beautiful,  most 
beautiful. 

In  comparing  regular  adjectives  of  more  than  one  syl- 
lable, affix  er  and  est,  or  prefix  more  or  most  according  to 
which  sounds  better. 

The  superlative  degree  is  used  in  comparing  three  or  more 
objects. 


24 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


IRREGULAR  COMPARISON 

Some    adjectives    are    compared    irregularly, 
are  a  few  of  the  most  common  ones : 


Following 


Positive 

Comparative 

Superlative 

good 

better 

best 

bad,  ill,  evil 

worse 

worst 

little 

less 

least 

much 

more 

most 

many 

more 

most 

late 

later,  latter 

latest,  last 

far 

farther 

farthest 

old 

older,  elder 

oldest,  eldest 

forth 

further 

Exercise  17 

furthest 

COMPARATIVE    AND  SUPERLATIVE 


Use  the  superlative  only  when  comparing  three  or  more 
objects : 

1.  Of  two  evils  choose  the  least — lesser. 

2.  Which  of  the  two  plans  do  you  think  is  the  best — 
better? 

3.  My  right  hand  is  the  quicker — quickest,  but  my  left 
hand  is  the  strongest — stronger, 

4.  Mary    is    the    prettier — prettiest   of    the    twins,    but 
Jennie  is  the  brightest — brighter, 

5.  London  is  the  larger — largest,  but  New  York  is  the 
greatest — greater  commercial  city  in  the  world. 

6.  John  is  the  elder — eldest  of  five  sons. 

7.  Which  is  the  more — most  beautiful  city,  New  York 
or   Chicago? 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  25 

8.  Which  can  run  the  faster — fastest,  John  or  Henry? 

9.  This  is  the  duller — dullest  season  of  the  year. 

10.  That  is  the  cleaner — cleanest  of  the  three  streets. 

1 1 .  Which  is  the  more — most  desirable,  health  or  wealth  ? 

12.  The  other  is  the  worse — worst  behaved  of  the  two. 


Exercise  18 

ERRORS  IN  COMPARISON 

When  an  object  is  compared  within  its  class,  the  super- 
lative degree  is  used,  and  such  words  as  other,  before,  etc., 
must  not  be  used. 

Texas  is  the  largest  state,  is  correct.  To  say  Texas  is  the 
largest  of  all  other  states  would  be  absurd.  Texas  is  not  one 
of  the  other  states. 

When  an  object  is  compared  with  the  rest  of  its  class,  the 
comparative  degree  is  used  and  some  such  word  as  other, 
before,  etc.,  must  be  used. 

Texas  is  larger  than  any  other  state  in  the  Union,  is 
correct.  To  say  Texas  is  larger  than  any  state  in  the  Union, 
would  be  absurd,  as  it  would  mean  that  Texas  is  larger 
than  itself,  or  that  it  is  not  one  of  the  Union. 

Correct  errors  in  the  following  sentences  (two  are  correct)  : 

1.  I  have  just  visited  Niagara  Falls.    I  never  saw  such 
a  sight. 

2.  He  was  the  most  active  of  all  his  friends. 

3.  He  was,  of  all  others,  the  most  clever. 

4.  The  orange  is  better  than  any  fruit. 

5.  Of  all  other  cities,  London  is  the  largest. 

6.  We  show  more  styles  than  any  three  stores  in  the 
city. 


26  Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

7.  John  is  taller  than  any  boy  in  his  class. 

8.  Charles   likes   football   better   than   anything. 

9.  Paris  is  the  most  famous  of  any  other  European 
city. 

10.  He  is  better  known  than  any  other  man  in  the  city. 

11.  China  has  a  greater  population  than  any  nation  on 
the  globe. 

12.  Of  all  other  English  universities  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge are  the  greatest. 

13.  You  of  all  other  girls  in  the  class  ought  to  be  the 
last  to  complain. 

14.  Brother  White  above  all  others  should  be  careful 
about  any  statement  he  makes. 

CAUTIONS 

This,  that,  these,  those,  them 

This  and  that  are  the  only  adjectives  that  have  a  plural 
form.  These  and  those  are  plural  and  must  be  used  with 
plural  nouns.  Those  kind  is  incorrect.  It  should  be  that 
kind  or  those  kinds.  Them  is  not  an  adjective  and  should 
not  be  used  to  modify  a  noun. 

Each  other — one  another 

Each  other  refers  to  two  objects  only ;  one  another,  to 
more  than  two : 

The  two  brothers  love  each  other. 
The  three  brothers  love  one  another. 

Either,  neither — any  one 

Either  or  neither  properly  refers  to  one  of  two;  any  one 
to  one  of  several. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  27 

First  and  last 

The  words  first  and  last  when  used  with  adjectives  that 
express  number  are  placed  before  the  adjective;  as,  the 
first  two  sentences ;  the  last  ten  pages. 


Exercise  19 

Select  the  right  word  in  each  of  the  following  sentences : 

1.  I  like  this — these  kind  of  oranges  better  than  that — 
those — them  kind. 

2.  How  can  he  associate  with  that — these  sort  of  men. 

3.  These — this  kind  of  books  is — are  interesting. 

4.  Are  they  those — that  kind  of  people? 

5.  Did  you  see  them — those  boys  playing  in  the  street  ? 

6.  I  don't  like  these — this  sort  of  pens. 

7.  It  isn't  safe  to  trust  those — that  kind  of  people. 

8.  I  prefer  this — these  kind  of  pencils  to  those — them 
— that. 

9.  College  students  often  haze  each  other — one  another. 

10.  Caesar  and  Pompey  envied  one  another — each  other. 

11.  Either — any  one  of  the  five  boys  will  be  able  to  hold 
the  position. 

12.  The  Bible  is  more  precious  than  any — any  other 
book. 

13.  The  teacher  assigned  the  eight  first — first  eight 
problems  in  arithmetic  and  the  ten  last — last  ten  sentences 
in  gramniar. 

14.  Where  are  them — those  boys? 

15.  The  two  first— first  two  houses  on  Main  Street  belong 
to  Mr.  Smith. 

16.  Neither  of  the  large  cities  in  the  United  States  is 
so  large  as  London. 


28  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

PLACING  OF  ADJECTIVES 

The  adjective  is  usually  placed  before  its  noun.  In 
some  instances,  however,  it  follows ;  as,  The  apple  is  sweet. 
A  cause  worthy  to  be  defended  will  not  lack  defenders.  Vice 
makes  men  miserable.    The  vessel  rides  buoyant  on  the  deep. 

In  many  sentences  the  adjective  may  either  precede  or 
follow  the  noun ;  as,  A  wise  and  prudent  statesman ;  or,  A 
statesman  wise  and  prudent. 

The  misplacing  of  a  single  adjective  may  seriously  affect 
the  meaning  of  a  sentence.  Note  the  difference  in  the 
meaning  of  these  two  sentences : 

I  heard  only  him.  Only  I  heard  him. 

Especial  care  must  be  exercised  by  the  writer  in  the 
arrangement  of  two  or  more  adjectives  limiting  the  same 
noun. 

"So  place  adjectives  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to 
what  you  intend  them  to  modify.  If  those  forming  a  series 
are  of  different  rank,  place  nearest  the  noun  the  adjective 
most  closely  modifying  it.  If  they  are  of  the  same  rank, 
place  them  where  they  will  sound  best — generally  in  the 
order  of  length,  the  shortest  first." — Reed  and  Kellogg. 

"in  the  use  of  adjectives,  that  order  should  be  adopted 
which  is  the  most  natural,  expressive,  and  euphonious." 
— Holbrookes  New  English  Grammar. 

Exercise  20 

Correct  errors  in  the  location  or  arrangement  of  adjectives 
in  the  following  sentences : 

1.  A  black  baseball  player's  suit  was  found. 

2.  He  only  spoke  of  history,  not  of  art. 

3.  Charles  bought  a  new  bottle  of  wine. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  29 

4.  Nellie   needs   a   new   pair  of   shoes. 

5.  The  waiter  brought  in  a  fried  dish  of  bacon. 

6.  That  restaurant  only  caters  to  the  white  race. 

7.  Lost :     A   long   black   lady's   glove. 

8.  The    building    was    trimmed    with    granite    carved 
corners. 

9.  John  spent  his  two  last  dollars  for  books. 

10.  Mr.  Fox  has  just  received  a  new  stock  of  hats. 

11.  Please  bring  me  a  fresh  glass  of  water. 

12.  Mr.  James  has  made  the  two  first  payments  on  his 
property. 

A,  an,  the 

A,  an,  and  the  are  called  articles. 

A  and  an  are  called  indefinite  articles,  because  they  are 
used  to  limit  the  noun  to  any  one  thing  of  a  class ;  as,  a 
man,  an  arrow. 

The  is  called  the  definite  article  because  it  picks  out 
some  one  definite  individual  from  a  class ;  as,  The  man 
built  a  house. 

Exercise  21 

Study  the  following  rules  and  write  the  sentences,  making 
proper  use  of  the  articles : 

A  is  used  before  words  beginning  with  a  consonant 
sound;  as,  a  car,  a  horse.  An  is  used  before  words  begin- 
ning with  a  vowel  sound;  as,  an  owl,  an  hour.  Some 
writers  use  an  before  an  unaccented  h  ;  as,  an  historian. 

1.  In  London,  there  is  always  an — a  rush  and  an — a 
outcry. 

2.  In  that  case,  a — an  artist  served  as  a — an  preacher. 


30  ROSSS  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  The  hunter  shot  a — an  robin  and  an — a  oriole  with 
an — a  arrow. 

4.  On  the  desk  I  found  a — an  pen,  a — an  inkstand,  and 
a — an  eraser. 

5.  An — a  uncle  and  a — an  aunt  called  and  stayed  a — an 
hour. 

When  two  or  more  adjectives  modify  the  same  noun,  the 
article  is  used  before  the  first  adjective  only : 

A  black  and  white  dog.     (One  dog.) 

When  two  or  more  adjectives  modify  different  nouns,  one 
of  which  is  expressed  and  the  rest  understood,  the  article 
is  used  before  each  adjective: 

The  black  and  the  white  dog  are  mine.  (Dog  is  understood 
after  black.) 

1.  The  white  and  the  red  house  belong  to  Mr.  Johnson. 

2.  The  Republican  and  the  Democratic  party  seem  to 
agree  on  this  point. 

3.  Mary  bought  a  silk  and  a  cotton  umbrella.  (Two 
umbrellas.) 

4.  Sarah  bought  a  silk  and  a  cotton  umbrella.  (One 
umbrella.) 

5.  John  drew  a  map  of  the  Northern  and  the  Southern 
hemisphere. 

When  two  or  more  nouns  following  each  other  denote 
the  same  person  or  thing,  the  article  should  be  used  before 
the  first  only : 

The  secretary  and  treasurer  (one  person)  has  resigned. 

When  two  or  more  nouns  following  each  other  denote 
different  persons  or  things,  the  article  should  be  repeated : 

The  secretary  and  the  treasurer  (two  persons)  have  re- 
dgned. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  3 1 

When  two  or  more  nouns  following  each  other  denote 
different  things  so  closely  associated  in  thought  that  they 
may  be  considered  as  forming  a  whole,  the  article  should 
be  used  before  the  first  noun  only : 

The  wheel  and  axle  is  broken. 

1.  Distinguish  carefully  between  an  adjective  and  an 
adverb. 

2.  A  noun  and  a  pronoun  are  alike  in  office. 

3.  The  manager  and  the  owner  of  the  business  (one 
man)  will  leave  for  Europe  tomorrow. 

4.  The  manager  and  the  owner  of  the  business  (two 
men)  left  this  morning. 

5.  There  is  a  difference  between  the  sin  and  the  sinner. 

6.  The  pen  and  the  ink  is  here. 

7.  He  ate  the  bread  and  the  butter  for  his  breakfast. 

8.  The  house  and  the  lot  will  be  sold  for  taxes. 

9.  The  coat  and  the  hat  once  worn  by  a  great  king  will 
be  placed  on  exhibition. 

ID.     Leave  the  horse  and  the  wagon  in  the  lane. 

The  article  the  should  be  used  before  a  noun  denoting  a 
class  rather  than  an  individual  of  a  class: 

The  lion  is  the  king  of  beasts. 

The  article  should  be  omitted  before  a  word  used  as  a 
title  or  as  a  mere  name : 

What  kind  of  a  man  is  he  ?     (Not  a  man.) 

1.  They  gave  him  the  title  of  a  duke. 

2.  A  horse  is  a  domestic  animail. 

3.  I  have  a  sort  of  a  misgiving  about  it. 

4.  An  eagle  is  the  bird  of  prey. 

5.  The  subject  of  his  lecture  was  a  steam  engine. 


32  ROSS*S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

Exercise  22 

REVIEW 

Correct  errors  in  the  following  sentences : 

1.  What  sort  of  a  house  does  he  live  in ? 

2.  Such  a  man  does  not  deserve  the  name  of  a  gentle- 
man. 

3.  The  government  is  a  hereditary  monarchy. 

4.  A  lion  is  the  emblem  of  England. 

5.  It  describes  the  life  of  a  young  man  and  woman  who 
were   forced   to   leave   their   homes. 

6.  He  has  several  editions  either  of  which  will  serve 
your  purpose. 

7.  These   two   boys   are   always   quarreling   with    one 
another. 

8.  He  brought  three  hats,  neither  of  which  is  mine. 

9.  Apply  to  Messrs.  B.  and  C,  Attornies. 

10.  Did  you  ever  read  Bunyans  Pilgrims  Progress? 

11.  Where  did  you  get  them  apples? 

12.  You  can't  tell  his  ns  from  his  us. 

13.  It  presented  an  unique  appearance. 

14.  One  of  the  negroes  sang  two  soloes  at  the  concert. 

15.  You  never  saw  a  wretcheder  looking  specimen  of 
humanity. 

16.  She  is  a  better  writer  than  any  scholar  in  her  class. 

17.  He   gives   the   hardest   examinations   of   any   other 
teacher   I   know. 

18.  He  tried  the  old  and  new  method  of  cure. 

19.  Wanted,  a  nurse  and  house  maid.     (Two  servants.) 

20.  One  of  my  brother-in-laws  has  bought  a  farm. 

21.  She  doesn't  like  these  kind  of  pianoes. 

22.  Which  is  the  farthest  north,  new  york  or  san  fran- 
cisco  ? 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  33 

23.  It  is  the  likeliest  place  of  all  others  in  town  to  find 
him. 

24.  This  state  was  south  of  masons  and  dixons  line. 

25.  These  are  neither  George  nor  Fannys  books. 


Exercise  23 

REVIEW 

Correct  errors  and  give  reasons : 

1.  What  need  is  there  of  a  man  swearing? 

2.  Ask  somebody's  else  opinion. 

3.  Who  was  Josephs  and   benjamins  mother? 

4.  Sing  the  two  first  and  the  three  last  verses. 

5.  I  wish  you  would  write  them  rules  on  the  black- 
board. 

6.  A  telephone  is  a  modern  invention. 

7.  A  rascal  formerly  meant  a  servant. 

8.  We  are  now  an  united  people. 

9.  That  is  far  more  preferable  than  to  be  imprisoned. 

10.  To  every  room  there  was  an  open  and  secret  passage. 

11.  I  had  hoped  that  we  had  done  with  those  sort  of 
things. 

12.  Which  has  the  strongest  claim  to  civilization,  the 
victor  or  the  vanquished? 

13.  He  called  at  steeles  the  bankers. 

14.  The  mens'  wages  should  be  paid  promptly. 

15.  Nebulas  are  sometimes  called   star-dust. 

16.  Where   are   the   plato's   and   aristotle's   of   modern 
times  ? 

17.  There  are  three  chimnies  on  that  house,  and  neither 
of  them  is  safe. 

18.  We  regard   them  as  singular  phenomenons. 


34  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

19.  How  shall  we  know  which  of  the  two  is  best? 

20.  He  must  have  drunk  several  spoonsful. 

21.  It  must  be  a  sort  of  a  beetle,  I  think. 

22.  Will  I  be  allowed  to  choose  either  of  the  three? 

23.  Both  the  red  and  white  cow  belong  to  mr.  smithkins. 

24.  The  oldest  of  the  two  is  about  as  tall  as  I. 

25.  The  firm  agrees  to  give  us  30  days  time,  and  guar- 
antees the  goods  to  be  in  first  class  condition. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  35 


THE  SENTENCE 

A  sentence  is  a  group  of  words  expressing  a  complete 
thought : 

Birds  sing. 
Bees  make  honey. 
Lead  is  heavier  than  iron. 

George  Washington  was  often  called  the  Father  of  his 
Country. 

A  sentence  is  composed  of  two  parts :  the  subject  and 
the  predicate. 

The  subject  is  that  part  of  a  sentence  about  which  some- 
thing is  asserted.  The  first  word  in  each  of  the  examples 
above  is  the  subject. 


Exercise  24 

Make  complete  sentences  of  the  following  by  supplying 
subjects : 

I wrote  a  letter. 

2 live  in  wigwams. 

3 examined  the  records. 

4 learned  the  amount  of  the  loss. 

The  predicate  is  that  part  of  a  sentence  that  asserts 
something  about  the  subject : 


Canaries  sing.  Flowers  bloom. 


36  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  25 

Make  complete  sentences  of  the  following  by  supplying 
predicates : 

1.  Indians 

2.  Birds   

3.  The  house  

4.  A  host  of  Indian  warriors  

5.  The  teacher  


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  37 


VERBS 

The  word   used  in  a  sentence  to  make  an  assertion  is 
called  a  verb. 
The  verb  is  usually  the  simple  predicate: 

A  single  hay -cart  creaks  slowly  down  the  dusty  road. 


COMPLETE  PREDICATE 

The  verb  and  the  words  used  with  it  to  make  a  complete 
assertion  are  together  called  the  complete  predicate: 

A  single  hay-cart  creaks  slowly  down  the  dusty  road. 


SIMPLE  SUBJECT 

The  name  of  the  thing  about  which  the  assertion  is  made 
is  called  the  simple  subject: 

A  single  hay -cart  creaks  slowly  down  the  dusty  road. 


COMPLETE  SUBJECT 

The  simple  subject  and  its  modifiers  taken  together  are 
called  the  complete  subject: 

A  single  hay-cart  creaks  slowly  down  the  dusty  road. 


38  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ORDER  OF  ELEMENTS 

The  foregoing  examples  illustrate  the  usual  order  of  the 
English  sentence;  that  is,  the  subject  with  its  modifiers 
first,  followed  by  the  complete  predicate.  However,  the 
subject  is  often  placed  in  other  positions : 

In  front  of  the  building  stand  four  large  marble  vases. 

At  sunrise  we  struck  our  tents. 

Never  before  were  our  people  so  united. 

To  determine  the  subject  of  a  verb,  ask  the  question, 
whOj  or  what,  before  the  verb ;  as.  What  stand  ?  Vases. 
Who  struck?    We.    Who  were  united?     People. 

To  determine  the  subject  and  the  predicate  of  an  inter- 
rogative sentence  (question) ,  first  change  it  to  a  statement : 

Can  man's  endeavor  chain  the  winged  day? 

Man's  endeavor  can  chain  the  winged  day. 

What  is  the  subject  ?    What  is  the  predicate  ? 

VERB  PHRASES 

Two  or  more  words  used  together  in  a  sentence  to  make 
an  assertion  are  called  a  verb -phrase: 

We  should  have  listened  to  him. 

His  course  has  been  marked  by  prudence. 

A  verb-phrase  consists  of  a  principal  verb  and  one  or 
more  helping  words,  called  auxiliary  verbs.  The  principal 
auxiliary  verbs  are  be  (with  its  various  forms  is,  am,  are, 
was,  were),  can,  could,  may,  might,  must,  ought,  shall,  should, 
would,  will,  do,  did,  have,  and  had.  Some  of  these  may  be 
used  as  principal  verbs. 

The  parts  of  a  verb-phrase  may  be  separated  by  other 
words : 

He  might  in  one  sense  have  been  a  judge  of  poetry. 

Can  a  spider  weave  such  a  beautiful  web? 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  39 

Exercise  26 

In  each  of  the  sentences  in  Exercise  5  point  out  the  sim- 
ple subject,  the  complete  subject,  the  verb  or  verb-phrase, 
and  the  complete  predicate. 

Exercise  27 

Tell  whether  the  words  in  italics  are  nouns,  adjectives, 
or  verbs,  and  why.    Tell  what  the  adjectives  modify : 

1.  He  is  an  American,  and  glories  in  the  right  of  the 
American  citizen. 

2.  We  searched  each  person. 

3.  Each  obeyed  instructions. 

4.  He  is  a  fast  runner. 

5.  How  long  did  he  fast? 

6.  That  time  is  now  passed. 

7.  That  is  all  right. 

8.  If  we  while  away  our  time,  we  shall  not  reach  our 
journey's  end  for  a  long  while. 

9.  Several  times  each  day  the  shorthand  teacher  times 
her  class. 

10.  He  wore  a  light  suit. 

11.  We  light  the  lamps  at  night. 

12.  The  bright  lights  blind  me. 

13.  I  saw  a  blind  man. 

14.  He  sat  by  an  open  window. 

15.  We  do  not  open  the  store  at  night. 

16.  The  songs  sound  sweet. 

17.  The  apple  is  sound. 

18.  I  hear  a  strange  sound. 

19.  Do  not  idle  away  your  time. 

20.  An  idle  brain  is  the  devil's  workshop. 


40  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

21.  We  dry  all  our  apples. 

22.  The  wood  is  dry. 

23.  Be  sure  you  are  right,  then  go  ahead. 

24.  He  will  right  wrongs  of  the  oppressed. 

25.  He  looked  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left. 

26.  Here  they  made  their  last  struggle. 

27.  Will  the  struggle  last  long? 

28.  The  shoemaker  sticks  faithfully  to  his  last. 

29.  The  boys  clean  the  floor  every  day. 

30.  That  young  man  has  a  clean  record. 

31.  The  farmer  plowed  the  field. 

32.  We  walked  through  a  plowed  field. 

33.  His  farm  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  fence. 

34.  Let  him  who  is  without  sin  cast  the  first  stone. 

35.  Many  people  have  been  stoned  to  death. 

36.  It  was  all  over  in  a  second. 

37.  I  second  the  motion. 

38.  Some  books  may  be  profitably  read  a  second  time. 

39.  Not  all  forward  boys  become  able  men. 

40.  They  will  forward  our  plan. 

41.  The  judge  will  fine  the  prisoner. 

42.  No  one  cares  to  pay  the  fine. 

43.  Fine  feathers  do  not  make  fine  birds. 

44.  Who  could  divine  the  result? 

45.  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine. 

46.  The  cobbler's  last  will  last  until  he  has  dropped  his 
last  coin  into  the  till. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  4I 

CLASSES  OF  VERBS 

Verbs  are  divided  into  two  classes :  transitive  and 
intransitive. 

A  transitive  verb  is  a  verb  that  requires  an  object  to 
complete  the  sense. 

The  object  of  a  transitive  verb  is  the  noun  or  pronoun 
that  completes  its  meaning.  It  is  the  word  representing 
the  person  or  thing  receiving  the  action  expressed  by  the 
verb.  To  determine  the  object  of  a  transitive  verb,  ask 
whom,   or  what  after  it: 

We  study  grammar. 

The  man  whips  his  horse. 

I  saw  your  brother. 

We  study  what?    Grammar. 
The  man  whips  what?    Horse. 
I  saw  whom?    Brother. 


Exercise  28 

Divide  a  page  into  three  columns.  Write  the  verbs  in 
the  following  sentences  in  the  second,  their  subjects  in  the 
first,  their  objects  in  the  third  : 


He  has  rung  the  bell. 

Who  has  taken  my  pencil  ? 

The  committee  made  a  report. 

He  will  not  ship  the  goods. 

She  mended  the  dress. 

The  Jones  Co.  bought  the  machinery. 

The  judge  has  decided  the  case. 

Lincoln  told  witty  stories. 


42  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ACTIVE  AND  PASSIVE  VOICE 

Voice  is  that  form  of  the  verb  which  indicates  whether 
its  subject  names  the  doer  or  the  receiver  of  the  action. 

A  verb  is  in  the  active  voice  when  its  subject  names  the 
doer  of  the  action : 

Bees  make  honey. 

A  verb  is  in  the  passive  voice  when  its  subject  names 
the  receiver  of  the  action : 

Honey  is  made  by  bees. 

Any  transitive  verb  may  be  used  in  either  the  active  or 
the  passive  voice.  The  object  of  the  active  form  becomes 
the  subject  of  the  verb  in  the  passive.  (See  the  examples 
above.) 

Exercise  29 

The  verbs  in  Exercise  28  are  in  the  active  voice.  Re- 
write the  sentences,  changing  the  verbs  to  the  passive 
voice. 

INTRANSITIVE  VERBS 

An  intransitive  verb  is  a  verb  that  does  not  require  an 
object  to  complete  the  sense: 

The  wind  blows.  The  sun  shines. 

The  subject  of  an  intransitive  verb  always  represents  the 
doer  of  the  action.  In  other  words  the  intransitive  verb 
is  used  in  the  active  form  only. 

Some  verbs  may  be  transitive  in  one  sentence  and  intran- 
sitive in  another.  When  followed  by  an  object,  a  verb  is 
transitive ;  when  not  followed  by  an  object,  it  is  intransi- 
tive. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  43 

Some  verbs,  however,  may  be  correctly  used  only  as 
transitive  verbs,  while  others  are  always  intransitive.  It 
is  important,  therefore,  that  the  distinction  be  clearly 
understood. 

Exercise  30 

Point  out  the  verbs  and  tell  whether  they  are  transitive 
or  intransitive : 

1.  The  woman  spins  the  yarn. 

2.  They  hid  themselves  in  the  forest. 

3.  The  wind  blows. 

4.  The  clouds  look  threatening. 

5.  The  blacksmith  shoes  the  mason's  horse. 

6.  Anthracite  coal  burns  slowly. 

7.  Rome  bound  with  oak  her  patriots'  brows. 

8.  A  wise  man  reflects  before  he  speaks. 

9.  Velvet  feels  smooth. 

10.  Music  refines  the  soul. 

11.  The  ways  were  strewn  with  flowers. 

12.  The  trickster's  purpose  was  defeated. 

13.  Mary,  please  set  the  vase  on  the  table. 

14.  He  just  sits  and  dreams  the  whole  day  long. 

15.  When  the  snow  melts  the  rivers  rise. 

16.  The  pupils  raised  their  new  flag  on  Independence 
Day. 

17.  The  slothful  boy  lies  in  bed  until  noon. 

18.  Please  lay  these  letters  on  my  desk. 

COPULATIVE  VERBS 

A  few  intransitive  verbs  require  a  word  to  complete 
their  meaning.  Such  verbs  are  called  copulative  verbs. 
The  verb  he,  with  its  various  forms  am,  is,  are,  was,  were, 


44  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

is  the  only  pure  copulative  verb.  Appear,  become,  seem, 
look,  feel,  taste,  smell,  are  frequently  used  as  copulative 
verbs. 

The  word  used  to  complete  the  meaning  of  a  copulative 
verb  may  be  a  noun,  a  pronoun,  or  an  adjective.  It  is 
called  the  predicate  noun  or  pronoun,  or  predicate 
adjective: 

A  book  is  good  company.        It  was  not  he. 
Wisdom  is  priceless.  The  jam  smells  sour. 

PREDICATE  NOUN  AND  OBJECT 

The  difference  between  a  predicate  noun  or  pronoun 

and  the  object  of  a  transitive  verb  should  be  carefully 
observed.  Only  verbs  that  express  action  have  objects.  The 
object  represents  the  person  or  thing  receiving  the  action ; 
as,  John  plowed  the  field. 

A  copulative  verb  does  not  express  action.  It  connects 
the  predicate  noun  with  the  subject.  Compare  the  following 
examples : 

Objects  Predicate  Nouns 

John  plowed  the  field.  That  is  a  large  field. 

Birds  eat  insects.  Flies  are  insects. 

He  read  a  story.  It  was  a  strange  story, 

I  did  not  know  him.  It  was  not  he. 

Exercise  31 

If  a  verb  is  followed  by  an  object,  is  it  transitive,  or 
intransitive  ? 

If  a  verb  is  in  the  passive  voice,  is  it  transitive,  or  in- 
transitive ? 

If  a  verb  has  no  object,  is  it  transitive,  or  intransitive? 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  45 

In  what  voice  may  an  intransitive  verb  be  used  ? 

In  what  voice  may  a  transitive  verb  be  used  ? 

How  is  the  subject  of  the  verb  determined  ?    The  object  ? 

What  part  of  speech  is  the  subject?    The  object? 

What  is  a  copulative  verb? 

How  many  pure  copulative  verbs  are  there? 

Name  six  other  verbs  that  may  be  used  as  copulatives. 

Explain  the  difference  between  a  predicate  noun  and 
the  object  of  a  transitive  verb.* 

Point  out  the  verbs  in  Exercise  4.  Tell  whether  they  are 
transitive  or  intransitive,  active  or  passive.  Name  the 
subjects,  objects,  predicate  nouns,  and  predicate  adjectives. 

THE  PARTICIPLE 

A  participle  is  a  word  that  is  derived  from  a  verb.  It 
partakes  of  the  functions  of  verb  and  of  an  adjective  or 
noun. 

The  participle  has  three  forms:  present,  perfect,  and 
compound. 

PRESENT  PARTICIPLE 

The  present  participle  is  formed  by  adding  ing  to  the 
simple  form  of  the  verb.  It  expresses  action  or  state  as 
being  in  progress: 

The  boy  rowing  a  boat  is  my  brother. 

As  an  adjective,  rowing  modifies  the  noun  boy;  as  a  verb 
it  takes  the  object  boat. 

Rowing  a  boat  is  my  favorite  exercise. 

Rowing,  as  a  noun,  is  the  subject  of  the  sentence ;  as 
a  verb  it  takes  the  object  boat. 


46 

Exercise  32 

Name  present  participles  and  tell  whether  they  are  used 
as  nouns  or  adjectives.  Tell  whether  those  used  as  nouns 
are  subjects,  objects,  or  predicate  nouns,  and  what  those 
used   as  adjectives  modify : 

1.  Whispering  the  name  is  not  sufficient. 

2.  An  invitation  bidding  me  to  a  wedding  requires  an 
acknowledgment. 

3.  Planting  perennials  is  the  work  of  a  gardener. 

4.  A  letter  expressing  gratitude  is  usually  welcome. 

5.  Sailing  is  a  delightful  pastime. 

6.  We  should  avoid  injuring  the  feelings  of  others. 

7.  My  going  there  will  depend  upon  my  father's  giving 
his  consent. 

8.  The  bird  sitting  on  the  wall  is  a  wren. 

9.  What   is   the   object   of   Mary's   studying   French? 
10.     The  regiment,  moving  the  battery  to  the  hill,  re- 
news the  engagement. 

Exercise  33 

In  using  the  present  participle,  be  careful  to  place  it  so 

as  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  what  you  intend  it  to  modify. 

Correct  errors  in  arrangement  in  the  following  sentences : 

1.  A  gentleman  will  let  his  house  going  abroad  for  the 
summer  to  a  small  family  containing  all  the  improvements. 

2.  Seated  on  the  topmost  branch  of  a  tall  tree  busily 
gnawing  an  acorn  we  espied  a  squirrel. 

3.  A  poor  child  was  found  in  the  streets  by  a  wealthy 
and  benevolent  gentleman  sufifering  from  cold  and  hunger. 

4.  Boys  should  be  prevented  from  throwing  snowballs 
as  far  as  possible. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  47 

5.  This  morning  I  picked  up  a  cent  walking  over  the 
bridge. 

6.  Yesterday  I  saw  a  drove  of  hogs  sitting  in  a  parlor. 

7.  Yesterday  I  saw  a  dead  horse  walking  up  Fifth 
Avenue. 

8.  Lost  a  dog  by  a  man  on  Saturday  answering  to  Jim. 

9.  He  guided  the  man  eyeing  him  closely. 

PERFECT  PARTICIPLE 

The  perfect  participle  expresses  the  action  or  state  as 
completed.  It  is  formed  regularly  by  adding  ed  to  the  root. 
It  may  be  used  as  an  adjective : 

The  man  threatened  by  his  neighbors  decided  to  move. 
Threatened  is  an  adjective  modifying  man. 

COMPOUND  PARTICIPLE 

Being,  having,  and  having  been,  combined  with  some  other 
participle,  form  compound  participles ;  as,  being  written, 
having  written,  having  been  written : 

Having  written  the  letter,  he  was  anxious  to  go. 


Exercise  34 

Point  out  the  participles  in  the  following  sentences,  and 
tell  what  kind   each   is : 

1.  The  camels,   loaded   with   rich  goods,   picked   their 
way  slowly  over  the  desert. 

2.  The  spider,  spinning  his  web,  was  an  inspiration  to 
Bruce. 

3.  When  we  visited  our  trap,  we  found  a  poor  hedgehog 
caught  by  his  forepaw. 


48  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

4.  The  discipline  was  firm,  but  loving. 

5.  Having  written  the  letter,  he  mailed  it. 

6.  He  is  charged  with  having  sold  liquors  without 
license. 

7.  Your  remaining  here  would  ruin  us  all. 

8.  His  coming  so  soon  surprised  us. 

9.  Unawed  by  opinion,  unseduced  by  flattery,  undis- 
mayed by  disaster,  he  confronted  life  with  antique  courage, 
and  death  with  Christian  hope. 

10.     Of  this  period  of  history,  illuminated  by  great  names 
and  immortalized  by  great  deeds,  it  is  my  purpose  to  treat. 


INFINITIVES 

The  infinitive  is  a  form  of  the  verb  which  names  the 
action  or  being  in  a  general  way,  without  asserting  it  of 
anything. 

The  infinitive  may  usually  be  known  by  the  sign  to  placed 
before  it. 

The  infinitive  may  be  used  as  the  subject  noun,  as  the 
predicate  noun,  or  as  the  object  or  modifier  of  a  verb : 

To  sing  is  pleasant.     (Subject.) 

His  chief  delight  is  to  sing.     (Predicate  noun.) 

He  wishes  to  sing.     (Object.) 

He  came  here  to  sing.     (Modifying  verb.) 

The  sign  of  the  infinitive  is  omitted  after  the  verbs  hid, 
dare,  feel,  see,  let,  make,  need,  help,  hear,  and  a  few  others : 


Bid  them  (to)  he  quiet. 

Please  let  me  (to)  hear  from  you. 

See  him  (to)  run. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  49 

Exercise  35 

Point  out  the  infinitives,  tell  how  they  are  used,  and  name 
their  modifiers : 

1.  To  talk  with  great  men  is  a  liberal  education. 

2.  Music  hath  charms  to  soothe  the  savage  breast. 

3.  To  lose  one's  temper  is  to  weaken  one's  power. 

4.  Let  me  see  your  book. 

5.  Let  us  not  deceive  ourselves  longer. 

6.  He  loves  to  play. 

7.  Let's  you  and  me  go  to  the  game. 

8.  I  heard  him  say,  "Every  man  desires  to  live  long, 
but  no  man  would  be  old." 

9.  She  wants  to  jump  the  rope. 

10.     What  you  wish  to  be  you  must  begin  to  be  now. 

Exercise  36 

THE  SPLIT  INFINITIVE 

The  sign  to  should  not  be  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
infinitive. 

To  promptly  fill  the  order  is  impossible,  is  incorrect. 
It  should  be,  To  fill  the  order  promptly  is  impossible. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  It  is  difficult  to  correctly  report  correctly  a  speech. 

2.  To  recklessly  spend  money  recklessly  is  criminal. 

3.  He  was  able  to  beautifully  write  a  letter  beautifully. 

4.  I  am  prepared  to  promptly  serve  you  promptly. 

5.  She  had  just  begun  to  carefully  study  her  lesson 
carefully. 

6.  He  was  instructed  to  thoroughly  examine  thoroughly 
the  firm's  books  thoroughly. 


.  50  ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

7.  It  will  be  my  duty  to  faithfully  record  faithfully 
these  events  faithfully. 

8.  To  quickly  punish  crime  quickly  is  the  best  policy. 

9.  The  purpose  of  the  minister  is  to  earnestly  set  forth 
the  truth  earnestly. 

ID.     To  be  always  believed  always  comes  from  always 
being  true. 

11.  His  duty  shall  be  to  promptly  report  promptly  any 
distress. 

12.  You  will  be  expected  to  seriously  consider  seriously 
-your  friend's  welfare  seriously  at  this  time. 


FORMS  OF  THE  INFINITIVE 

The  infinitive  has  two  forms:  the  present  infinitive 
and  the  perfect  infinitive,  and  in  the  case  of  transitive 
verbs,  has  forms  for  both  the  active  and  passive  voice. 

The  infinitives  may  be  classified  as  follows : 

Present  Perfect    . 

Active  Voice :        to  ship  to  have  shipped 

Passive  Voice  :       to  be  shipped  '  to  have  been  shipped 

The  correct  use  of  these  forms  is  determined  from  the 
relation  between  the  time  denoted  by  the  infinitive  and  the 
time  expressed  by  the  principal  verb. 

If  the  time  denoted  by  the  infinitive  is  the  same  aSj  or 
after,  that  ofjthe  principal  verb,  the  present  infinitive 
should  be  used : 

I  expected  to  see  you  yesterday  at  ten  o'clock. 

The  time  of  to  see  was  at  ten  o'clock.  I  expected  before 
ten  o'clock.    The  present  infinitive  is^correct. 

I  was  sorry  not  to  have  seen  you  yesterday  at  ten  o'clock. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  5 1 

As  in  the  first  example,  the  time  of  seeing  was  at  ten 
o'clock.  When  was  I  sorry?  After  ten  o'clock.  The  time 
of  the  infinitive  is  before  that  of  the  principal  verb,  therefore 
the  perfect  infinitive  is  the  correct  form. 

Exercise  37 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  infinitives : 

1.  We  should  have  been  pleased  to  have  gone — to  go 
with  you. 

2.  If  you  had  given  us  references,  we  should  have  been 
glad  to  ship — to  have  shipped  the  goods. 

3.  I  paid  no  more  than  I  expected  to  pay — to  have  paid. 

4.  I  was  sorry  not  to  have  seen — to  see  you  yesterday. 

5.  I  fully  expected  to  see — to  have  seen  you  there. 

6.  It  was  his  intention  to  take — to  have  taken  several 
photographs. 

7.  I  hoped  to  have  seen — to  see  you  do  better. 

8.  They  believed  him  to  be — to  have  been  insane. 

9.  He  did  not  seem  to  know — to  have  known  how  to  do 
— to  have  done  the  work. 

ID.     He  intended  to  write — to  have  written  you. 

11.  They  had  hoped  to  see — to  have  seen  you  before  they 
left. 

12.  I  have  known  him  to  be — to  have  been  tardy. 

13.  He  believes  me  to  be — to  have  been  guilty. 

14.  He  believed  me  to  be — to  have  been  guilty. 

15.  What  the  English  ought  to  have  done  was  to  support 
— to  have  supported  their  natural  ally,  the  sultan. 

16.  There  was  nothing  left  but  to  obey — to  have  obeyed. 

17.  You  ought  to  have  helped — to  help  me  to  do — to  have 
done  the  work. 


52 

1 8.  We  hoped  to  see — to  have  seen  you  often. 

19.  We  expected  him  to  arrive — to  have  arrived  last 
night. 

20.  I  should  not  have  let  you  eat — eaten  it. 

21.  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  have  gone — to  go, 
although  I  should  have  found  it  difficult  to  do — to  have 
done  so. 

MODE 

Mode  is  that  form  or  use  of  a  verb  that  indicates  the 
manner  in  which  the  action  or  state  is  expressed. 

There  are  three  modes :  the  indicative,  the  imperative, 
and  the  subjunctive. 

The  indicative  mode  is  used  in  asserting  something  as 
a  fact,  or  to  ask  a  question. 

The  imperative  mode  is  that  form  or  use  of  the  verb 
that  expresses  a  command,  a  request,  or  an  entreaty. 

The  subjunctive  mode  is  used  in  expressing  a  doubt, 
a  supposition  contrary  to  reality,  a  future  contingency,  or 
a  wish. 

A  verb  in  the  subjunctive  mode  is  usually  preceded  by 
one  of  the  conjunctions,  if,  that,  till,  unless,  except,  though, 
lest,  whether. 

While  some  writers  do  not  make  a  careful  distinction 
between  the  subjunctive  and  the  indicative  mode,  the 
subjunctive  mode  should  be  used  to  express  contrary  reality 
(supposition  or  wish)  in  sentences  referring  to  present 
time.     Were,  not  was,  should  be  used  in  such  sentences : 

If  I  were  rich  (but  I  am  not),  I  should  do  much  for  the 
poor. 

I  wish  I  were  able  to  go.     (I  am  not.) 

In  ordinary  conditions  referring  to  past  time,  was  should 
be  used : 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  53 

If  Mr.  Brown  was  in  the  office,  I  am  sure  the  matter  was 
attended  to. 

In  ordinary  conditions  referring  to  present  time,  is  should 
be  used : 

If  Mr.  Brown  is  in  the  office,  I  am  sure  he  will  be  glad 
to  see  you. 

Note  the  difference  between  ordinary  condition  and  con- 
trary reality.  When  we  say.  If  Mr.  Brown  is,  we  don't 
know  whether  he  is  or  not.  This  is  ordinary  condition. 
When  we  say.  If  Mr.  Brown  were,  we  know  he  is  not. 
This  is  contrary  reality.  Contrary  reality  in  the  past  is 
expressed  by  had  been.  When  we  say  If  Mr.  Brown  had 
been,  we  know  he  was  not. 

Exercise  38 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  I  wish  I  was — were  a  musician. 

2.  I  would  study  bookkeeping  if  I  were — was  you. 

3.  If  everybody  was — were  wise,   there  would   be  no 
need  of  schools. 

4.  I  should  be  glad  if  my  son  was — were  here. 

5.  If   John   was — were  there,    I   am   sure   he   behaved 
properly. 

6.  If  George  ever  told  an  untruth,  I  feel  certain  he 
was — were  unconscious  of  it. 

7.  If  he  was — were  rich,  he  would  be  generous. 

8.  Would  that  everybody  were — was  honest. 

9.  If  the  weather  were — was  fine,  the  ship  would  sail. 
10.     If  the  nominee  were — was  assured  of  your  support, 

he  would   not  withdraw. 


54 

11.  If  the  chorister  was — were  present  yesterday,  they 
had  some  fine  singing. 

12.  The  man  runs  like  he  was — as  if  he  were  afraid  of 
arrest. 

13.  Though  he  was — were  very  economical,  he  remained 
poor. 

14.  Though  he  was — were  king  over  ajl  the  earth,  I 
should  despise  him. 

15.  He  acts  as  if  it  was — were  possible  always  to  escape 
death. 

16.  Was — were  it  necessary,  I  should  jump. 

17.  If  my  mother  was — were  here,  she  would  say  I 
might  go. 

18.  If  she  was — were  at  home,  I  did  not  hear  of  it. 

19.  If  he  was — were  honest,  he  would  pay  me. 

20.  If  he  was — were  there,  he  fought  bravely. 

TENSE 

Tense  is  that  form  or  use  of  a  verb  that  denotes  the  time 
of  an  action  or  an  event. 

There  are  three  natural  divisions  of  time :  the  past,  the 
present,  and  the  future.  The  tenses  are  named  present, 
past  or  future,  according  as  they  express  present,  past,  or 
future  time.    These  are  called  the  three  primary  tenses. 

PRESENT  TENSE 

The  present  tense  denotes  present  time : 

We  are  shipping  the  goods. 

The  present  tense  is  used  in  expressing  a  general  truth 
or  what  is  habitual : 

Honesty  is  the  best  policy. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  55 

The  train  arrives  at  lo  a.  m. 

The  historical  present  is  the  present  used  for  the  past 
to  describe  more  vividly  what  took  place  in  past  time : 

Napoleon  at  once  crosses  the  river,  engages  the  enemy, 
and  gains  a  complete  victory. 

PAST  TENSE 

The  past  tense  denotes  past  time.  It  is  formed  regularly 
by  adding  d  or  ed  to  the  present  form ;  as,  work,  worked  ; 
bake,  baked : 

We  shipped  the  goods  yesterday. 
They  filled  the  order  on  the  15th  inst. 

Exercise  39 

In  speaking  of  facts  which  were  true  in  past  time,  and 
are  equally  true  at  present,  use  the  present  tense : 

1.  I  always  knew  that  two  and  two  were — are  four. 

2.  What  was — is  the  name  of  the  author  who  wrote 
Pilgrim's  Progress? 

3.  The  professor  explained  how  water  is — was  composed 
of  oxygen  and  hydrogen. 

4.  Didn't  you  know  that  London  is — was  the  largest 
city  in  the  world? 

5.  I    had   never   known   before   how   short   life   really 
was — is. 

6.  Our   fathers  held   that   all   men   were — are  created 
equal. 

7.  I  have  already  told  you  that  I  was — am  a  gentleman. 

8.  What  is — was  that  little  place  where  they  had  the 
Passion  Play? 


56  ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

9.     The  explorers  were  a  long  time  finding  where  the 
North  Pole  is — was  located, 

10.  The  teacher  often  told  his  pupils  that  haste  made — 
makes  waste. 

FUTURE  TENSE 

The  future  tense  denotes  what  will  take  place  in  the 
future  time : 

I  shall  ship  the  goods  tomorrow. 
They  will  writ&  to  you  in  a  few  days. 

Shall  and  will 

We  express  future  time  by  using  shall  or  will  with  the 
present  form  of  the  verb ;  as,  I  shall  write,  you  will  write, 
he  will  write. 

It  is  very  important  to  preserve  the  distinction  between 
shall  and  will.  One  of  the  most  frequent  errors  is  the  use 
of  will  where  shall  should  be  used.    Shall  is  seldom  misused. 

Two  things  are  to  be  considered  in  choosing  between 
shall  and  will:  the  person  of  the  subject,  and  whether  the 
sentence  expresses  simple  futurity  or  determination 
or  promise. 

To  express  determination  or  promise  with  a  subject 
in  the  first  person  (representing  the  speaker — /  or  we)y 
use  will. 

Use  shall  to  express  determination  or  promise  with  a 
subject  in  the  second  or  third  person  (representing  the  per- 
son spoken  to  or  spoken  of — you,  he,  she,  they). 

To  denote  simple  futurity,  reverse  the  above  rule; 
that  is,  use  shall  with  the  first  person  and  will  with  the  sec- 
ond and  third.  The  same  distinction  holds  for  should  and 
would. 


57 

Compare  carefully  the  following  examples: 

Determination  Simple  Futurity 

I  will,  would  go.  I  shall,  should  go. 

We  will,  would  go.  We  shall,  should  go. 

You  shall,  should  go.  You  will,  would  go. 

He  shall,  should  go.  He  will,  would  go. 

She  shall,  should  go.  She  will,  would  go. 

They  shall,  should  go.  They  will,  would  go. 

A  noun  used  as  the  subject  is  in  the  third  person. 

In  asking  questions,  shall  (never  will)  is  used  with  the 
subject  /  of  we.  With  other  subjects,  use  the  same  auxiliary 
(whether  shall  or  will)  that  is  expected  in  the  answer: 

Shall  you  go  at  four  o'clock?     {Shall  denotes  futurity.) 
Will  you  accompany  me?     {Will  denotes  promise.) 


Exercise  40 

Copy  the  following  sentences.  Fill  the  blanks  with 
shall  or  will  to  express  the  speaker's  determination  or  promise 
to  bring  about  the  act  named : 

1.  My  son take  my  answer  to  you  tomorrow. 

2.  Yes,  my  son,  your  request  ....  be  granted. 

3.  We  ....  grant  you  an  audience  soon. 

4.  The  umbrella  ....  be  returned  this  evening. 

5.  They  ....  not  elect  their  man. 

6.  I  . . . .  never  consent  to  be  thus  imposed  upon. 

7.  I  am  determined  that  you    ....   obey  me. 

8.  He pay  the  bill,  as  I  have  resolved. 

9.  I  . . . .  keep  my  promise  though  the  heavens  fall. 
10.  You have  as  many  coppers  as  you  please. 


58  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  41 

Copy  the  following  sentences,  and  fill  the  blanks  with 
shall  or  will,  so  as  to  express  a  probable  future  event,  but 
with  no  promise  or  pledge: 


We  ....  have  rain  very  soon. 
By  what  express   ....    I  send  the  books  ? 
He  thinks  he  ....  be  admitted  to  the  bar. 
You   ....  enjoy  the  book  very  much,  I  think. 

the  King  of  all  the  earth  do  wrong  ? 

I  do  not  know  when  I  ....  be  here  again. 

When  ....  he  be  here  again  ? 

We    ....    regret  losing  our  good  neighbor. 

I  think  we be  able  to  make  shipment  tomorrow. 

Mr.  S live  but  a  few  weeks. 


Exercise  42 

Copy   the   following   sentences   using   the   proper  word, 
shall  or  wUly  to  express  the  meaning  evidently  intended : 

1.  I  fear  that  I  will — shall  take  cold. 

2.  We  will — shall  fight  it  out  on  this  line. 

3.  I  promise  you  the  money  shall — will  be  raised. 

4.  I  will — shall  have  it  in  spite  of  all  you  can  do. 

5.  We  expect  that  they  will — shall  bring  their  books. 

6.  We  should — would  like  to  grant  your  request  if  we 
could. 

7.  You  would — should  like  these  olives  if  you  knew  how 
to  eat  them. 

8.  He  should — would  study  more  diligently  if  he  under- 
stood the  importance  of  it. 

9.  I  shall — ivill  probably  fail  to  pass  the  examination. 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  59 

10.  Will — shall  you  promise  me  to  sing  at  the  concert 
tonight?     Yes,   I  shall — will  sing  tonight. 

1 1 .  Shall — will  you  stop  at  Chicago  on  your  way  West  ? 
No,  I  don't  think  I  will — shall. 

12 we  be  permitted  to  go  ? 

13.  I   ....  be  very  grateful  if  you  ....  do  this. 

14.  Where    ....    we  join  you  ? 

15.  1  fear  I  should — would  be  drowned  if  I  would — 
should  go  swimming. 

16.  I  should — would  never  have  beUeved  she  would — 
should  do  such  a  thing. 

17.  I  will — shall  go;   you  will — shall  not  prevent  me. 

18.  I  . . .  .  fail ;   the  teacher not  help  me. 

19.  It  does  not  yet  appear  where  we  ....  lodge. 
20 he  inflict  this  trial  upon  us  ? 

21.  When  ....  you  be  twenty  years  of  age? 

22.  It  is  believed  that  the  emperor  ....  have  to  retreat. 

23.  He  tells  me  that  he  thinks  he be  elected. 

24.  She  is  determined  that  he  ....  go  to  school. 

25.  Does  John  write  what  he  ....  promise  to  do  in  the 
matter  ? 

PERFECT  TENSES 

There  are  three  verb  phrases,  called  perfect  tenses,  that 
represent  completed  action  or  being.  They  are  the  present 
perfect,  the  past  perfect,  and  the  future  perfect. 

The  present  perfect  tense  denotes  an  action  or  an  event 
as  completed  at  the  present  time.  It  is  formed  by  placing 
have  or  has  before  the  perfect  participle : 

I  have  finished  my  lessons. 
The  storm  has  ceased. 

The  past  perfect  tense  denotes  an  action  or  an  event  as 


6o 


completed  before  a  stated  past  time.    It  is  formed  by  placing 
had  before  the  perfect  participle : 

We  had  shipped  the  goods  before  your  letter  reached  us. 

The  future  perfect  tense  denotes  an  action  or  an  event 
as  completed  at  or  before  a  stated  future  time.  It  is  formed 
by  placing  shall  have  or  will  have  before  the  perfect  participle  : 

I  shall  have  shipped  the  goods  before  you  receive  this. 
He  will  have  finished  his  work  before  that  time. 

PRINCIPAL  PARTS 

Although  there  are  six  tenses,  each  verb  has  but  three 
distinct  tense  forms,  called  principal  parts ;  namely,  the 
present,  the  past,  and  the  perfect  participle.  The 
perfect  participle  is  used  in  forming  the  perfect  tenses. 
This  form  must  not  he  used  without  an  auxiliary.  This 
should  be  kept  in  mind  by  the  student  while  memorizing 
the  following  table  of  principal  parts.  In  giving  the  prin- 
cipal parts,  the  most  frequently  used  auxiliaries,  have,  has y 
had,  should  be  spoken  with  the  perfect  participle ;  as, 
present,  rise;  past,  rose;  perfect  participle,  have, 
has,   or   had   risen. 

IRREGULAR  VERBS 

Most  verbs  form  their  past  tense  and  perfect  participle  by 
adding  d  or  ed  to  the  present ;   as,  stop,  stopped,  stopped. 

A  number  of  verbs,  however,  are  irregular  in  these  forms, 
and  are  known  as  irregular  verbs.  The  following  list  of 
irregular  verbs  should  be  memorized. 

NOTE. — ^This  list  should  be  used  as  a  spelling  lesson, 
the  teacher  dictating  the  present  forms,  the  pupils  writing 
the  past  and  perfect  participle. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


6i 


Present  2 

^ense 

Past  Tense 

Perfect  Participle 

am 

was 

been 

arise 

arose 

arisen 

awake 

awoke,  awaked 

awaked 

bear  (to  carry) 

bore,  bare 

borne 

become 

became 

become 

begin 

began 

begun 

bid  (to  command) 

bade 

bidden 

blow 

blew 

blown 

break 

broke 

broken 

bring 

brought 

brought 

burst 

burst 

burst 

choose 

chose 

chosen 

come 

came 

come 

do 

did 

done 

draw 

drew 

drawn 

drink 

drank 

drunk,  drank 

drive 

drove 

driven 

eat 

ate 

eaten 

fall 

fell 

fallen 

fight 

fought 

fought 

flee 

fled 

fled 

fly 

flew 

flown 

forget 

forgot 

forgotten,  forgot 

freeze 

froze 

frozen 

get 

got 

got,  gotten 

give 

gave 

given 

go 

went 

gone 

grow 

grew 

grown 

hang  (to 

suspend) 

hung 

hung 

hang  (to 

take  life) 

hanged 

hanged 

know 

knew 

known 

lay  (to  p 

lace) 

laid 

laid 

lie  (to  recline) 

lay 

lain 

62 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


Present  Tense 

Past  Tense 

Perfect  Participle 

pay 

paid 

paid 

ride 

rode 

ridden 

ring 

rang,  rung 

rung 

rise 

rose 

risen 

run 

ran 

run 

see 

saw 

seen 

set  (to 

place) 

set 

set 

shake 

shook 

shaken 

shrink 

shrank. 

,  shrunk 

shrunk,  shrunken 

sing 

sang,  sung 

sung 

sink 

sank,  sunk 

sunk 

sit  (to 

be  seated) 

sat 

sat 

slay 

slew 

slain 

speak 

spoke, 

spake 

spoken 

spring 

sprang. 

sprung 

sprung 

steal 

stole 

stolen 

strike 

struck 

struck,  stricken 

swear 

swore 

sworn 

swell 

swelled 

swelled,  swollen 

swim 

swam,  ; 

swum 

swum 

take 

took 

taken 

teach 

taught 

taught 

tear 

tore 

torn 

throw 

threw 

thrown 

wake 

waked. 

woke 

waked,  woke 

wear 

wore 

worn 

weave 

wove,  weaved 

woven,  weaved 

write 

wrote 

written 

Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  63 

Exercise  43 

PAST  TENSE  AND  PERFECT  PARTICIPLE 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  verbs.  Do  not  use  a  past  tense  form  with  an 
auxiliary ;  do  not  use  a  perfect  participle  without  an  aux- 
iliary : 

1.  If  I  had  not  saw — seen  what  I  saw — seen,  I  should 
not  have  did — done  what  I  did — done. 

2.  I  was  to  meet  Jones  here,  but  he  has  not  come — 
came. 

3.  You  have  tore — torn  your  coat. 

4.  Have  you  wore — worn  your  new  coat? 

5.  Someone  has  took — taken  my  book. 

6.  Have  you  wrote — written  your  lesson? 

7.  The  bell  had  rang — rung  before  the  whistle  Mowed — 
blew — blown. 

8.  The   pitcher   throwed — threw — thrown   the   ball   into 
the  field. 

9.  Before  the  man  had  time  to  think  the  panther  had 
sprung — sprang  upon  him. 

10.  I  done — did  that  work  yesterday,  and  have  done — did 
it  again  today. 

11.  Although  the  water  was  muddy,  we  all  drunk — 
drank  it. 

12.  No  one  has  ever  swam — swum  the  Whirlpool  Rapids. 

13.  They  sang — sung  that  song  at  the  beginning  of  the 
term,  and  they  have  sung — sang  it  every  day  since. 

14.  Beeves  are  hanged — hung;    men  are  hung — hanged. 

15.  The  river  has  rose — risen  several  feet. 

16.  Everyone  else  was  up  before  I  had  awaked — awoke 
— awakened. 

17.  I  began — begun  my  work  before  you  came. 


64 


1 8.  I    shouldn't   have   gone — went   if    I    had    knowed — 
known — knew  it  was  so  far  away. 

19.  He  done — did  it ;    I   saw — seen  him. 

20.  The  windowpane  was  broke — broken  by  James. 

21.  The  newsboy  must  have  for gotT— forgotten  to  leave 
the  paper. 

22.  I  was  up  before  anyone  else  had  arose — arisen. 

23.  The  old  woman  has  bore — borne  her  troubles  well. 

24.  The  tower  of  the  church  ha.s  fell — fallen  down. 

25.  The  river  has  overflowed — overflown  its  banks. 

26.  He  committed  the  crime  and  fled — flew. 

27.  The  frightened  horses  ran — run  into  the  yard. 

28.  I  have  showed — shown  you  all  my  books. 

29.  The  witness  has  swore — sworn  to  tell  the  truth. 

30.  We  were  badly  shook — shaken  up. 

31.  I  fear  I  should  be  drowned — drownded  if  I  should 
go  swimming. 

32.  If  we  had  came — come  late,  would  it  have  made  any 
difference  ? 

33.  The  fruit  has  been  froze— frozen. 

34.  I  seen — saw  him  after  he  had  written — wrote  the  last 
page. 

35.  They  were  driven — drove  out  of  their  home. 

36.  Her  flowers  growed — grew  fast. 

37.  She  has  ridden — rode  that  horse  many  times. 

38.  He  has  become — became  indifferent. 

39.  The  queen  bid — bade  all  her  servants  come  before 
her. 

40.  On  our  return  home  we  found  the  waterpipes  busted 
— hurst — bursted. 

41.  He  is  afraid  he  has  broke — broken  his  leg. 

42.  Have  you  eat — ate — eaten  your  luncheon? 

43.  The   culprit  was   said   to   have   stole — stolen   some 
brass. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  65 

44.  The  vessel  sank — sunk  and  all  on  board  drowned — 
drownded. 

45.  Saul  has  slain — slew  his  thousands. 

46.  Have  you  ever  rode — ridden  a  bicycle? 

Exercise  44 

Sit  and  set 

Sit  is  intransitive,  and  must  not  he  used  with  an  object. 
Set  is  transitive,  and  must  he  used  with  an  object. 

1.  He the  pail  on  the  bench  this  morning. 

2.  The  pail  has  ....  there  since  it  was  ....  there,  and 
it  is  still   ing  there. 

3.  May  I    here  ? 

4.  He  has  been  . . .  .ing  there  all  afternoon. 

5.  You   ....  very  quietly. 

6.  Those  trees  were   out  last  spring. 

7.  Let  him  ....  there  as  long  as  he  wishes. 

8.  He  has   there  all  day. 

Exercise  45 

Lie  and  lay 

Lie  is  intransitive ;  it  must  not  he  used  with  an  object. 
Lay  is  transitive ;   it  must  not  he  used  without  an  object. 

1.  He  has   ....   in  bed  all  morning. 

2.  Let  the  sleeping  dogs  - 

3.  Let  him there  until  he  wakes. 

4.  Now  I  . . . .  me  down  to  sleep. 

5.  I  am  ready  to    ....   down. 

6.  He the  papers  before  the  judge  yesterday. 

7.  The  papers  were aside  by  the  judge. 

8.  They  are  still  ....  on  his  desk. 


66 

Exercise  46 

Rise,  arisCj  and  raise 

Rise  is  intransitive ;    it  must  not  he  used  with  an  object. 
Raise  is  transitive ;  it  must  not  he  used  without  an  object. 

1.  I  will and  go  to  my  father. 

2.  The  heavy  snows  have  caused  the  river  to  

3.  He  has    ....    early  today. 

4 your  hand  if  you  know. 

5.  They  have  all   ....   their  hands. 

6.  The  price  of  meat  has   

7.  The  bread  would  not   

8.  The  curtain  is  to   ....   at  eight.     I  myself  shall  see 
to    ...  .ing   it   then. 

Exercise  47 

1.  The  river  rises — raises  rapidly. 

2.  The  safe  was  raised — risen  by  means  of  a  rope. 

3.  When  we  are  weary  we  lie — lay  down. 

4.  I  lay — laid  down  this  afternoon. 

5.  I  have  frequently  laid — lain  in  bed  until  eleven. 

6.  Please  sit — set  here  until   I   return. 

7.  She  set — sat  the  hen  on  some  eggs,  and  she  is  still 
sitting — setting  there. 

8.  He  was  engaged  in  sitting — setting  out  flowers. 

9.  I  saw  that  book  laying — lying  on  the  table. 

10.  I  have  laid — lain  on  that  sofa  many  times. 

11.  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you;  come  in  and  sit — set  down. 

12.  Don't  sit — set  around  when  you  have  work  to  do. 

13.  The  thief  ran  away,  but  the  detective  is  lying- 
laying  for  him. 

14.  These  eggs  were  laid — lain  yesterday. 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  67 

15.  He  rose — -raised  rapidly  to  prominence. 

16.  He  tried  to  rise — raise  himself  from  the  condition 
into  which  he  had  fallen. 

17.  One  sets — sits  a  hen,  and  she  sets — sits  on  the  eggs. 

18.  Then  we  call  her  a  setting — sitting  hen. 

19.  At  daybreak  we  will  sit — set  out  on  our  journey. 

20.  The  sun  sets — sits  in  the  west. 

Exercise  48 

May  and  can  ;  might  and  could 

May  expresses  probability  or  permission.  Might  is  the 
past  form  of  may. 

Can  expresses  power  or  ability.  Could  is  the  past  form 
of  can. 


Can — may  I  borrow  your  book? 


2.  May — can  Mary  and  I  be  excused? 

3.  Who  can — may  deny  that  God  is  just? 

4.  I  asked  him  whether  I  might — could  come  to  see  you. 

5.  I  never  could — might  understand  geometry. 

6.  Can — mxiy  a  lie  ever  be  justifiable? 

7.  If  he  has  sufficient  strength  he  can — may  remove 
the  window,  but  he  will  not  do  so  unless  the  owner  says 
he  can — may. 

8.  No  one  can — may  smoke  in  this  room. 

9.  May — can  I  ask  your  name,  sir? 

10.  You  may — can  go  out  and  play. 

11.  The  pupil  asked  if  he  could — might  be  excused  from 
reciting. 

12.  They  wanted  to  know  if  they  might — could  have  a 
holiday. 

13.  I  wish  I  might — could  have  a  vacation. 

14.  Can — may  the  mountain  be  climbed? 


68 

15-  That  can — may  be  true,  but  it  can — may  not  be  relied 
on. 

1 6.  Several  people  can — may  use  the  same  book. 

17.  What  can — may  not  be  done  in  a  week? 

18.  You  can — may  often  hear  the  noise. 

19.  Can — may  John  go  with  me? 

20.  You  can — may  stay  as  long  as  you  wish. 

PERSON  AND  NUMBER 

The  verb  agrees  with  its  subject  in  person  and  number. 
The  verb  be  has  the  following  person  and  number  forms : 


PRESENT 

TENSE 

Singular 

Plural 

I.     I  am 

We  are 

2.    You  are 

You  are 

3.     He  is 

They  are 

PAST  TENSE 

I.     I  was 

We  were 

2.     You  were 

You  were 

3.     He  was 

They  were 

verbs  have 

only  one 

inflection   for  number  and 

Other 

person.  With  a  subject  in  the  third  person,  singular  num- 
ber, a  verb  or  an  auxiliary  in  the  present  or  present  perfect 
tense  must  end  in  s: 

Miss  Brown  sings  in  the  village  choir. 
She  has  been  singing  for  many  years. 

In  the  present  tense  column  of  the  list  on  page  61  the 
verbs  (with  the  exception  of  am)  are  plural  number.  Each 
requires  the  addition  of  5  or  es  when  used  with  a  singular 
subject : 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  69 

He  arises. 

The  servant  awakes. 

The  squaw  bears  the  burdens. 

Perhaps  the  most  frequent  error  made  in  connection  with 
verbs  is  the  use  of  a  singular  verb  with  plural  subject. 


Exercise  49 

1.  Our  attorneys  write — writes  us  that  the  claim  is 
uncollectible. 

2.  The  statement  is — are  taken  at  its  face  value. 

3.  Mr.  Manley  has — have  proposed  a  plan  for  the  ad- 
justment of  differences  between  the  operators  and  miners. 

4.  The  operators  believe — believes  this  proposition  equiv- 
alent to  the  old  scale. 

5.  The  developments  is — are  awaited  with  interest. 

Exercise  50 

When  the  verb  and  its  subject  become  separated,  especial 
care  must  be  exercised  to  see  that  the  verb  is  not  made  to 
agree  with  some  word  near  it,  rather  than  the  real  subject : 

1.  Our  attorneys  having  charge  of  your  claim  for  dam- 
ages against  R.  H.  Keel  write — writes  that  the  claim  is 
uncollectible. 

2.  The  statement  credited  to  Huerta's  war  minister  in 
connection  with  the  issuance  of  orders  to  the  two  Federal 
gunboats  is — are  taken  at  face  value. 

3.  Mr.  Manly,  who  is  attending  the  convention  as  a 
representative  of  the  Eastern  Ohio  operators,  has — have 
proposed  a  plan  for  the  adjustment  of  differences  between 
operators  and  miners. 


70  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

4.  The  operators  of  Eastern  Ohio,  where  it  is  estimated 
that  35  percent  of  the  output  of  a  mine  is  fine  coal,  believe — 
believes  this  proposition  equivalent  to  the  old  scale. 

5.  The  developments  of  the  next  twenty-four  hours  at 
the  meetings  of  the  Mediation  Committee  is — are  awaited 
with  interest. 

6.  The  chastity  of  honor,  which  left  a  stain  like  a  wound, 
which  inspired  courage  while  it  mitigated  ferocity,  which 
ennobled  whatever  it  touched,  and  under  which  vice  itself 
lost  half  its  evil  by  losing  its  grossness,  is — are  gone. — 
Burke. 

7.  The  sight  that  pulled  the  hardest  at  the  heartstrings 
of  the  great  throng  of  onlookers  that  witnessed  the  removal 
of  the  bodies  was — were  that  of  the  sailors  carrying  the  tiny 
caskets  containing  the  bodies  of  babies  that  were  drowned. 

8.  The  great  good  which  this  organization  has  accom- 
plished and  the  vast  influence  which  it  has  so  fortunately 
exercised  throughout  the  world  is — are  evidenced  in  a  very 
impressive  wav  by  the  loyal  support  it  receives  from  its 
large  membership. 

Exercise  51 

Errors  are  frequently  made  when  the  subject  is  out  of 
its  usual  order : 

1.  In  front  of  the  building  stand — stands  four  large 
marble  vases. 

2.  Gracefully  bend — bends  the  willow. 

3.  How  full  of  briars  is — are  this  working-day  world. 

4.  The  greatest  of  all  treats  is — are  the  singing  of  the 
nightingale. 

5.  In   yonder   hut   live — lives   three   dark-eyed   savages. 

6.  Far  beyond  the  storm-tossed  seas  is — are  our  island 
home. 

7.  The  dews  their  jewels  bring — brings. 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  7 1 


SPECIAL  RULES 

A  plural  subject  requires  a  plural  verb  ;  as,  Birds  fly, 
The  flowers  are  blooming. 

If  the  subject  is  plural  in  form  but  singular  in  meaning, 
a  singular  verb  is  required  ;  as.  Fifteen  dollars  was  spent 
on   the  enterprise. 

Exercise  52 

1.  Many  Indians  still  live — lives  in  wigwams. 

2.  There  is — are  three  pounds  of  butter  in  the  pail. 

3.  Ten  years  seem — seems  a  long  time  to  stay  in  one 
place. 

4.  Mathematics  has — have  always  been  interesting  to 
me. 

5.  A  great  many  errors  ivas — were  found  in  the  boy's 
work. 

6.  The  news  concerning  the  blockade  has — have  been 
confirmed. 

SUBJECTS   CONNECTED   BY   Or  OR   nor 

Two  or  more  singular  subjects  connected  by  or  or  nor 
require  a  singular  verb  ;  as,  Neither  James  nor  John  is 
coming. 

When  two  or  more  subjects  connected  by  or  or  nor  differ 
in  person  or  number,  the  plural  is  placed  nearest  the  verb 
and  the  verb  agrees  with  it  in  the  plural ;  as,  Either  the 
teacher  or  the  pupils  are  to  blame  for  the  poor  results. 

When  the  subjects  differ  in  person,  an  awkward  sentence 
may  be  avoided  by  using  a  verb  with  each  subject ;  as, 
Either  you  are  wrong,  or  I  am. 


72 

Exercise  53 

1.  Neither  Mary  nor  Lucy  is — are  qualified  to  fill  the 
position. 

2.  The  general  or  his  aids  is — are  to  be  here. 

3.  Neither  he  nor  I  is — am — are  going. 

4.  Neither  Brown  nor  his  friends  know — knows  anything 
about  it. 

5.  Neither  beauty,  wealth,   nor  talents  was — were  in- 
jurious to  her  modesty. 


SUBJECTS  CONNECTED  BY  and 

Two  or  more  singular  subjects  connected  by  and  require 
a  plural  verb ;   as,  Mary  and  Lucy  are  studying. 

When  the  subjects  connected  by  and  refer  to  the  same 
person,  a  singular  verb  is  required ;  as,  The  secretary  and 
treasurer  (one  man)  is  out  of  the  city. 

When  they  represent  one  idea  or  are  very  closely  con- 
nected in  thought,  a  singular  verb  is  required ;  as.  Bread 
and  butter  is  a  wholesome  food. 

When  preceded  by  each,  every,  many  a,  etc.,  a  singular 
verb  is  required ;  as,  Every  street  and  alley  was  filled  with 
people. 

When  one  of  the  subjects  is  affirmative  and  the  other 
negative,  the  verb  agrees  with  the  affirmative  and  is  under- 
stood with  the  negative ;  as.  The  condition  of  the  market, 
and  not  our  desires  in  the  matter,  governs  prices. 

Two  or  more  singular  subjects  connected  by  as  well  as, 
and  also,  in  addition  to,  etc.,  require  a  singular  verb ;  as. 
The  letter,  as  well  as  the  package,  has  been  miscarried. 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  73 

Exercise  54 

1.  Grammar  and  arithmetic  is — are  interesting. 

2.  Each  of  the  churches  has — have  art  windows. 

3.  The  horse  and  carriage  is — are  waiting  at  the  gate. 

4.  The  president  and  owner  of  the  school  talk — talks 
to  the  students  every  day. 

5.  DiUgent  industry,  and  not  mean  savings,  constitutes — 
constitute  honorable  competence. 

6.  Mr.  Washington,  and  also  Mr.  Jones,  is — are  to 
address  the  students. 

COLLECTIVE  NOUNS  AS  SUBJECTS 

When  a  collective  noun  refers  to  its  individuals  as  acting 
separately  or  independently,  it  should  be  followed  by  a 
plural  verb ;   as.  The  jury  were  not  unanimous. 

When  a  collective  noun  refers  to  its  individuals  as  acting 
as  a  whole,  the  singular  verb  is  required ;  as.  The  jury  was 
a  long  time  reaching  its  decision. 

Exercise  55 

1.  The  committee  has — have  been  faithful  from  the 
beginning. 

2.  The  audience  was — were  held  by  the  speaker  as  if 
it — they  were  one  man. 

3.  When  he  ceased,  his  audience  ivas — were  free  to  go 
their—its  ways. 

4.  The  crowd  was — were  composed  of  men  of  every  class. 

5.  The  public  is — are  often  deceived  by  false  appear- 
ances. 


74  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

6.  The  public  is — are  cordially  invited. 

7.  His  family  is — are  in  Cincinnati. 

8.  His  family  is — are  in  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis. 


Exercise  56 

1.  Every  hill  and  every  mountain  has — have  its — their 
echo. 

2.  The    secretary    and    treasurer    has — have    made    a 
statement. 

3.  Bread  and  butter  has — have  a  place  on  nearly  every- 
one's table. 

4.  Every  citizen  and  soldier  is — are  ready  to  defend 
the  country's  honor. 

5.  Your  coat  and  hat  is — are  in  the  wardrobe. 

6.  Every  house  and  lot  has — have  been  sold. 

7.  Neither  the  general  nor  the  soldiers  realize — -realizes 
the  danger. 

8.  Either  Mary  or  Ellen  is — are  willing  to  help  you. 

9.  Poverty  or  wealth  has — have  many  temptations. 

10.  Poverty  and  wealth  has — have  many  temptations. 

11.  The  firm  is — are  nearly  ready  to  move  into  the  new 
building. 

12.  In  America,   the  people  elect — elects  the  president. 

13.  The    society    has — have    held    three    meetings    this 
month. 

14.  The  father,  as  well  as  the  sons,  has — have  duties 
to  perform. 

15.  Not  one  of  the  class  has — have  failed  this  week. 

16.  Every  member  of  the  society  is — are  expected  to 
attend   all  meetings. 

17.  Neither  the  master  nor  the  servants  is — are  to  blame 
n  the  matter. 


ROSS'S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  75 

1 8.  The  whole  class  is — are  to  meet  in  the  library. 

19.  The  lowest  mechanic,  as  well  as  the  richest  citizen, 
is — are  protected  by  the  new  law. 

20.  To  this  cause,  no  doubt,  is — are  due  all  the  failures. 

21.  Nothing    but    trials    and    disappointments    seem — 
seems  to  await  me. 

22.  A  tall  man  with  a  little  boy  was — were  walking 
leisurely  through  the  deserted  street. 

23.  Either  of  the  men  is — are  worth  a  million. 

24.  Was — were  you  ever  in  Chicago? 

25.  Many  a  day  has — have  passed  since  then. 


Exercise  57 

1.  Till  those  questions  were  well  answered,  trade  was 
in  danger  of  standing  still,  and  that  large  body  of  men  who 
were  not  counted  as  citizens,  and  had  not  so  much  as  a 
note  to  serve  as  an  anodyne,  was — were  likely  to  get  impa- 
tient. 

2.  Who  was  it  that  had  said  five  hundred  florins  tvas — 
were  more  than  a  man's  ransom? 

3.  The  blind  father  sat  with  head  uplifted,  as  if  he 
were — was  gazing  into  his  daughter's  face. 

4.  "Plutarch's  Lives"  is — are  a  good  book. 

5.  He  was  chosen  one  of  the  four  speakers  who  was — 
were  to  speak  on  commencement  day. 

6.  The  end  and  aim  of  his  life  is — are  to  get  money. 

7.  This  is  one  of  the  four  metals  that  is — are  available. 

8.  Ten  minutes  was — were  given  him  in  which  to  answer. 

9.  Neither  sincerity  nor  cordiality  characterize — char- 
acterizes him. 

10.  Twenty  years  of  his  life  was — were  spent  in  prison. 

11.  Both  physical  and  manual  training  are — is  necessary. 


76  ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

12.  The  wife  and  mother  kneel — kneels  in  prayer. 

13.  Neither  the  manager  nor  his  assistants  has — have 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business. 

14.  The  people  of  the  United  States  take — takes  great 
interest  in  political  discussions. 

15.  The  violet  and  the  hyacinth  hloom — blooms  about 
the  same  time. 

16.  My  neighbor's  dogs  do — does  nothing  but  howl. 

17.  The  men  that  do — does  things  are — is  the  men  that 
succeed — succeeds. 

18.  Even  the  captain  and  the  mate,  who  usually  do — 
does  not  shrink  from  any  danger,  has — have  been  convicted 
of  cowardice. 

19.  Into  every  man's  life  there  conie — comes  at  least 
one  great  sorrow  and  one  supreme  opportunity. 

20.  The  costliness  of  her  dress  and  jewels  was — were 
evident  at  a  glance. 

21.  The  persecutions  of  the  old  college  bell,  which 
summoned  him  every  morning  from  a  warm  bed  to  a  chilly 
class-room,  interrupt — interrupts  his  slumbers  no  longer. 

22.  The  number  of  men  and  women  present  was — were 
not  so  large  as  on  former  occasions. 

23.  Many  a  communication,  telegraphic  as  well  as  postal, 
has — have  been  exchanged  between  the  President  and 
responsible  officials  of  the  state  of  California. 

24.  The  British  commander  gave  notice  to  the  Spanish 
authorities  that  if  another  Englishman  or  another  American 
was — were  shot,  he  would  bombard  and  destroy  the  town. 

25.  Three  drops  of  this  medicine  is — are  a  dose. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  77 

Exercise  58 

DonH  and  doesn't 

Don't  is  the  contraction  of  do  not,  therefore  plural;  it 
may  be  used  with  nouns  in  the  plural,  and  with  the  pro- 
nouns, /,  we,  you,  they. 

With  he,  she,  and  it,  and  nouns  in  the  singular,  doesn't 
or  does  not  should  be  used. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  inserting  the  proper  form, 
don't  or  doesn't: 

1.  I    understand  why  she   try  to  overcome 

that  defect. 

2.  It  ... .  seem  as  if  it  would  ever  stop  raining. 

3.  He  is  a  foolish  man  who   improve  his  oppor- 
tunities. 

4 everybody  know  that  "don't"  is  plural? 

5.  Why he  investigate  the  matter? 

6.  It  ... .  make  any  difference  to  him,  one  way  or  the 
other. 

7.  Politics  is — are  a  matter  which   interest  him. 

8.  This  year's  team    ....   compare  with  the  team  of 
last  year. 

9.  It take  long  to  learn  shorthand. 

10.  Yes,  he  said  so ;  but  that make  it  so. 

11.  Either  they  ....  know  any  better,  or  he  ....  care. 

12.  Clara  ....   look  much  like  her  sister. 

13.  He  ....  know  his  own  relatives. 

14.  I  ....  understand  why  every  stenographer  .... 
make  a  special  study  of  English. 


78  ROSS's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  59 

OTHER  CONTRACTIONS 

Grammarians  condemn  the  use  of  contractions  in  formal 
composition.  They  are,  however,  permissible  in  ordinary 
conversation ;  and  are  used  more  or  less  by  present-day 
writers.    Ain't  and  hain't  are  always  wrong. 

Attention  is  here  called  to  the  spelling  of  contractions. 
Though  the  rule  is  simple  and  invariable,  they  are  fre- 
quently misspelled. 

An  apostrophe  is  placed  where  the  letter  or  letters  are 
omitted.  In  don't  the  o  in  not  is  omitted ;  in  you'll,  wi  in 
will,  etc. 

Write  contractions  for  the  following  expressions: 


I. 

I  will 

14. 

They  will 

2. 

I  would 

15. 

Have  not 

3- 

I  had 

16. 

Has  not 

4- 

You  will 

17. 

Is  not 

5. 

You  are 

18. 

Are  not 

6. 

He  will 

19. 

Can  not 

7- 

He  would 

20. 

Would  not 

8. 

She  will 

21. 

Did  not 

9- 

She  would 

22. 

Will  not* 

10. 

It  is  (two  forms) 

23. 

It  will 

II. 

It  was 

24. 

Ever 

12. 

It  were 

25. 

Never 

13. 

They  are 

26. 

Even 

^NOTE.—Won't  comes  from  the  Middle  English 
not,"  and  is  either  singular  or  plural. 


Vol 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  79 

Exercise  60 

Got 

Do  not  use  got  with  have,  has,  or  had  to  indicate  possession 
or  obligation.    Have  got  means  "have  secured  (obtained)." 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  got  where  it  is 
incorrectly  used : 

1.  I  have  got  some  books  on  that  subject. 

2.  Have  you  got  a  knife? 

3.  I  tried  to  get  permission  to  go,  but  I  haven't  got  it 
yet. 

4.  Have  you  got  permission  to  go? 

5.  I  have  got  to  leave  at  4  p.  m. 

Exercise  61 

REVIEW  OF  VERBS 

Correct  such  of  the  following  sentences  as  are  incorrect. 
Give  reasons: 

1.  Kindly  sit  the  vase  on  the  mantle. 

2.  We  found  the  pictures  laying  in  the  bottom  of  the 
box. 

3.  The  poor  crops  will  cause  prices  to  raise. 

4.  If  the  weather  was  not  so  cool,  it  would  be  better 
for  vegetation. 

5.  When  may  I  call  and  show  you  my  samples? 

6.  John's  employer  said  he  could  go  an  hour  earlier  on 
Saturday. 

7.  When  shall  it  be  convenient  for  you  to  go  over  the 
plans  with   me? 

8.  I  would  be  pleased  to  help  you  at  any  time. 

9.  When  I  reached  the  doctor's  office,  he  had  went 
out  to  see  a  patient. 


80  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

10.  It  is  an  accomplishment  to  be  able  to  legibly  and 
grammatically   write   a  business   letter. 

11.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  bought  your  prop- 
erty, had  I  knew  it  was  for  sale. 

12.  John  killed  a  snake  standing  in  the  yard  yesterday. 

13.  It  don't  seem  to  be  so  hot  as  it  was  yesterday. 

14.  Tom  Anderson  hasent  missed  a  meal  in  ten  years, 
and  yet  he  says  he  isnt  well. 

15.  The  newspaper  says  that  the  Star  Traction  Co.  has 
got  to  pay  ten  thousand  dollars  damages  to  Joseph  Peck. 

16.  The  citizens  of  this  state  seems  to  have  lost  all 
pride  and  patriotism. 

17.  We  are  informed  that  you  are  in  trouble.  Please 
let  us  know  what  the  state  of  affairs  is. 

18.  Speed  is  acquired  by  reading  as  well  as  by  writing, 
and  this  method  of  practicing  each  word  and  phrase  in  the 
vocabulary  over  and  over  many  times  get  the  exact  form 
of  the  correct  outline  thoroughly  fixed  in  the  mind  and,  at 
the  same  time,  give  the  student  experience  in  forming  the 
characters. 

19.  Ten  years  have  passed  since  I  seen  him  last. 

20.  Nothing  but  expense  and  trouble  have  grown  out 
of  the  business. 

21.  Can  I  have  the  use  of  your  ruler  for  a  little  while? 

22.  Will  I  find  you  at  home  this  evening? 

23.  The  river  had  overflown  its  banks  during  the  night. 

24.  He  rung  the  bell  twice  this  morning. 

25.  The  scene  of  the  play  was  lain  in  the  Ohio  Valley. 

26.  He  don't  look  like  a  man  of  that  sort. 

27.  I  intended  to  have  written  on  Saturday. 

28.  How  far  did  you  say  it  was  to  Washington? 

29.  If  I  was  him  I  would  be  ashamed  to  go  there  again. 

30.  Every  chapter,  and  indeed  every  page,  furnishes 
proof  of  this. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  8 1 

Exercise  62 

Review  of  nouns,  adjectives,  and  verbs. 
Correct  such  of  the  following  sentences  as  are  incorrect, 
and  give  reasons : 

1.  We  have  opened  several  cases  of  ladie's  and  childrens 
shoes. 

2.  The  attornies  for  the  defense  will  ask  for  a  new 
trial. 

3.  Several  court-martials  were  held  in  Mexico  recently. 

4.  What  sort  of  a  position  do  you  wish  ? 

5.  It  isn't  safe  to  trust  them  kind  of  people. 

6.  The  News  has  the  largest  circulation  of  any  other 
paper  in  the  city. 

7.  I  saw  a  large  and  small  dog  laying  in  the  yard. 

8.  A  long  black  ladys  glove  was  found  on  the  floor. 

9.  Which  is  the  cheapest,  the  black,  or  white  hat? 

10.  Two  teaspoonsful  of  this  mixture,  dissolved  in  a 
glass  of  water  and  drank  during  efTervCvScence,  makes  a 
cooling  drink. 

11.  I  understand  that  no  one  but  the  Smith's  have  been 
invited. 

12.  I  meant  to  have  called  you  this  morning. 

13.  What  have  you  got  to  do  before  you  shall  be  ready 
to  go? 

14.  Neither  Anderson  nor  Thompson  are  willing  to 
assume  the  obligation. 

15.  "Folio"  isn't  one  of  the  words  that  adds  es  in  the 
plural. 

16.  Is  it  ignorance  or  carelessness  that  is  causing  so 
many  stenographers  to  fail? 

17.  The  derivation  of  the  word,  as  well  as  the  usage  of 
our  best  writers,  are  in  favor  of  this  view. 


82  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

i8.     He    appeared    to    clearly    understand    the    various 
steps  of  the  process. 

19.  A  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  schools  and  of 
the  pupils  attending  them  is  not  at  present  to  be  expected. 

20.  If  he  was  wise  he  would  content  himself  to  follow 
his  parents  advice. 

21.  No  principal  can  be  stated,  no  rule  can  be  lain  down, 
that  apply  to  all  these  sort  of  questions. 

22.  If  you  had  went  a  little  closer  you  would  have  saw 
that  it  was'nt  Brown. 

23.  Any  man  or  woman  that  once  buys  anything  from 
us  are  sure  to  become  regular  customers. 

24.  If  there  was  any  penalty  for  such  conduct,  we  might 
have  better  books. 

25.  I  hoped  to  have  seen  you  at  the  meeting  last  night. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  83 


ADVERBS 

An  adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  a  verb : 

The  students  work  quietly. 
We  must  go  now. 
You  may  place  the  book  here. 
He  should  study  more. 

Quietly  tells  how  the  students  work. 
Now  tells  when  we  must  go. 
Here  tells  where  you  may  place  the  book. 
More  tells  how  much  he  should  study. 

An  adverb  answers  the  question,  How?  When?  Where? 
or,  How  much?  in  reference  to  the  action  expressed  in  the 
verb  which  it  modifies. 

Most  adverbs  of  manner  (those  telling  how  an  action  is 
performed)  end  in  ly.  Adverbs  of  this  class  modify  only 
verbs  of  action — not  copulatives  or  sense  verbs ;  as,  smell, 
taste,  etc.     These  are  followed  by  adjectives. 

Adverbs  modify  adjectives  also : 

She  is  very  studious. 

The  river  is  quite  low. 

He  seems  too  ill  to  work. 

This  lesson  is  so  difficult. 

He  is  an  exceedingly  rich  man. 

An  adverb  modifying  an  adjective  expresses  degree.  It 
answers  the  question,  How?  or.  To  what  degree?  Very 
tells  how  studious ;  quite^  how  low ;  too^  how  ill ;  so^  how 
difficult;    exceedingly,  how  rich. 


84  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Adverbs  modify  other  adverbs: 

She  works  very  quietly. 
He  walks  rather  slowly. 

*  An  adverb  is  a  word  used  to  modify  a  verb,  an  adjective, 
or  an  adverb. 

Exercise  63 

List  the  adverbs  in  the  following  sentences,  telling  what 
they  modify: 

1.  He  writes  badly  now;   then  he  wrote  well. 

2.  Here  he  was  gladly  received  ;  there  he  was  unkindly 
repulsed. 

3.  They  greeted  us  very  cordially. 

4.  The  house  is  too  large. 

5.  He  is  slowly  but  steadily  gaining  ground. 

6.  Slowly  and  sadly  they  laid  him  down. 

7.  It  is  almost  done. 

8.  Any  suggestions  will  be  very  kindly  received. 

9.  They  traveled  slowly. 

ID.     The  soldier  was  quickly  overcome. 

REVIEW 

Before  taking  up  the  next  exercise,  review  the  following 
facts  relative  to  parts  of  speech  discussed  up  to  this  point ; 
namely,  noun,  adjective,  verb,  adverb: 

The  noun  may  be  modified  by  an  adjective,  and  it  can 
not  he  modified  by  any  other  part  of  speech. 

The  adjective  is  used  to  modify  a  noun,  and  it  must  not 
be  used  to  modify  any  other  part  of  speech. 

The  adjective  may  be  modified  by  an  adverb,  and  by 
no  other  part  of  speech. 


ftOSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  ^5 

The  verb  may  be  modified  by  an  adverb,  and  it  can  not 
be  modified  by  any  other  part  of  speech. 

An  adverb  may  modify  a  verb,  an  adjective,  or  an  adverb. 

An  adverb  may  be  modified  by  an  adverb,  but  by  no 
other  part  of  speech. 

Verbs  and  nouns  are  modified ;  adjectives  and  adverbs 
may   modify   or   be   modified. 


Exercise  64 

Rule  a  sheet  in  four  columns,  heading  them  noun,  ad- 
jective, verb,  adverb.  Classify  the  italicized  words  in  the 
following  sentences : 

1.  This  long  march  through  the  primeval /ore^/  and  over 
the  rugged  and  tractless  mountains  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  exploits  of  the  war. 

2.  Dutch  cheeses  are  the  favorite  relish  of  English 
epicures. 

3.  The  defeated  candidate  will  retire  into  private  life. 

4.  These  prices,  as  you  say,  are  too  high. 

5.  I  intend  to  begin  work  tomorrow. 

6.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you  whenever  you  may  find 
time  to  come. 

7.  Thoughts  do  often  lie  too  deep  for  tears. 

8.  We  now  have  an  especially  attractive  line  of  goods. 

9.  He  breathes  freely. 

10.    These  people  were  treated  very  badly. 


86  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  65 

Use  adverbs  meaning  the  same  as  the  phrases  in  the 
following : 

1.  You  must  treat  him  with  respect. 

2.  It  is  best  to  be  polite  at  all  times. 

3.  If  you  behave  with  propriety,  you  will  merit  praise. 

4.  He  came  to  this  place  last  May. 

5.  He  is  too  diffident  to  speak  in  public. 

6.  I  want  him  to  come  at  once. 

7.  The  plan  was  made  in  secret. 

8.  He  will  pay  his  rent  hy  the  year. 

9.  We  deal  upon  honor  with  our  customers. 

10.  He  finished  his  task  in  haste. 

11.  No  written  work  should  be  permitted  until  there 
has  been  thorough  practice  in  doing  the  thing  in  the  mind. 

12.  It  must  become  a  fixed  habit  with  the  pupil  to  do 
all  things  with  accuracy. 

13.  It  does  not  take  long  to  become  familiar  with  them 
in  theory. 

14.  The  customer  remitted  for  the  bill  with  promptness. 

15.  The  question  may  be  stated  with  brevity. 

COMPARISON 

Adverbs  are  compared  to  show  different  degrees. 

A  few  adverbs  are  compared  by  adding  er  or  est  to  the 
simple  form ;    as,   often,   oftener,  oftenest. 

Some  are  compared  irregularly ;  as,  well,  better,  best ; 
far,  farther,  farthest. 

Most  adverbs  are  compared  by  means  of  more  and  most, 
less  and  least. 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  87 

PLACING  OF  ADVERBS 

Place  the  adverb  where  it  will  most  clearly  show  the 
meaning  intended. 

An  adverb  naturally  follows  the  verb  it  modifies  unless 
the  verb  is  followed  by  a  complement  or  other  lengthy 
modifiers : 

They  traveled  slowly. 

They  slowly  traveled  the  long  and  wearisome  path  up 
the  mountain. 

Exercise  66 

Put  the  adverbs  in  the  parentheses  in  the  proper  places: 

1.  The  river  runs  its  course  down  the  sloping  valley 
(rapidly) . 

2.  This    letter    should    have    been    written    yesterday 
(certainly). 

3.  The  rushing,  roaring  torrent  tore  down  the  mountain 
side    (madly) . 

4.  We  are  now  prepared  to  fill  all  orders  (promptly). 

5.  I  was  too  much  overcome  to  reply  (properly). 

6.  The  prisoner  watched  the  judge's  face  (anxiously). 

7.  The  man  was  pleased  with  his  promotion  (much). 

8.  You  will  have  no  other  opportunity   (perhaps). 

9.  The  tunnel  extends  through  the  mountain  (almost). 
10.     I  expect  to  test  the  effects  of  the  drug  (thoroughly). 

The  words  only,  merely^  and  also  give  the  most  trouble 
in  placing.  Sometimes  they  are  adjectives  and  sometimes 
adverbs,  and  their  different  positions  in  the  sentence  con- 
vey very  different  meanings« 

Explain  the  meaning  of  each  of  these  sentences : 

Only  I  heard  him.  I  heard  him  only. 

I  only  heard  him. 


88  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  67 

Place  the  words  only,  merely,  and  also  in  these  sentences 
to  express  the  meaning  indicated  : 

1.  I  can  hope  for  that  {only — can  hope  and  do  nothing 
else) . 

2.  They  have  been  ordered  to  sell  three  of  them  {only 
— three  and  no  more). 

3.  The  father  and  the  child  were  saved  {only — no  one 
but  the  father  and    the  child). 

4.  The  French  lost  many  officers  {only — the  French  and 
no  others). 

5.  I  spoke  to  him   {merely — spoke  and  nothing  else). 

6.  We  are  following  your  orders  {only — following  and 
nothing  else). 

7.  This  firm  competed  with  us  {also — this  firm  as  well 
as  others). 

8.  This  firm  competed  with  us  {also — ^with  us  as  well 
as  with  others). 

9.  They  live  by  hunting  and  fishing  {only — by  hunting 
and  fishing  and  nothing  else). 

10.  We  want  to  do  what  is  right  {merely — ^what  is  right 
and  nothing  else). 

Exercise  68 

Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  placing  the  italicized 
adverbs  so  as  to  express  properly  the  meaning  evidently 
intended : 

1.  All  your  neighbors  were  not  invited. 

2.  There  can  not  be  found  one  man  that  is  willing  to 
undertake  it. 

3.  The  girls  were  nearly  dressed  alike. 


ROSS'S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  89 

4.  If  you  have  only  learned  to  spend  money,  you  may 
stay  at  home. 

5.  I  told  him  to  not  go. 

6.  I  take  this  opportunity  to  publicly  apologize. 

7.  He  moved  to  indefinitely  postpone  the  subject. 

8.  He  promises  to  earnestly  try  to  do  better. 

9.  One  must  understand  the  forms  of  a  language  in 
order  to  properly  speak  it. 

10.  Do  you  expect  to  always  have  your  way  in  every- 
thing ? 

11.  His  experience  enables  him  to  quickly  discern  and 
fulfill  the  most  exacting  requirements  of  the  trade. 

12.  The  conductor  failed  to  properly  protect  him. 

13.  We  would  thank  you  to  promptly  procure  for  us 
the  original  expense-bill. 

14.  If  thou  art  blessed  naturally  with  a  good  memory, 
continually  exercise  it. 

15.  You  must  not  expect  to  find  study  agreeable  always. 


CAUTIONS 

Participles  should  never  be  modified  by  very  or  too : 

He  was  much  pleased  (not  very  pleased). 

He  was  too  much  frightened  (not  too  frightened)  to  speak. 

A  caution  about  the  spelling  of  the  adverb  too  is  necessary. 
Remember  that  this  word  means  also  or  more  than  enough : 

I,  too,  will  go. 

You  bought  too  many  goods. 


90 

Exercise  69 

Supply  to,  too  J  or  two: 

1.  I  want hear  him  sing. 

2.  Did  you  buy of  those  cases  ? 

3.  He  intends  going the  auction  sale. 

4.  We  were  ....  much  grieved  ....  notice  his  absence. 

5.  Why  not  order dozen  more? 

6.  That  firm  is reckless  in  expenses. 

7.  They  ....  lost  in  that  bank  failure. 

8.  You  will  wait  until  it  is late   buy   

advantage. 

9.  They  would  like go 

10.    Those men  are honest engage  in  any 

such  scheme. 

Exercise  70 

Good  and  well 

Good  is  usually  an  adjective*.  Well  is  an  adverb  sometimes 
used  as  an  adjective*. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words: 

1.  Between  you  and  me,  that  work  was  done  good — well 
enough  for  anybody. 

2.  That  man  has  not  seen  a  good — well  day  for  years. 

3.  I  can  never  believe  that  the  convict  was  a  good — 
well  man. 

*Good  is  used  as  a  noun  in  such  expressions  as,  The  evil  that  men  do 
lives  after  them;  the  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones.  Also,  It  is 
said  that  the  good  die  young. 

*WeU  is  often  used  as  an  adjective,  meaning  good  health;  as,  I  am 
very  well,  thank  you.  There  is  not  a  well  penson  in  the  family. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  9I 

4.  This  pen  is  so  poor  that  I  can't  write  good — well. 

5.  There  is  an  old  saying  that  the  good — well  die  young. 

6.  How  do  you  like  this  candy?     Does  it  taste  good — 
well? 

7.  How  do  you  feel  today?     Pretty  good — well,  thank 
you. 

8.  Don't  you   like   these   pictures?     I    think   they   are 
very  good — well. 

9.  I  think  Fannie  looks  good — well  in  her  black  dress. 


Exercise  71 

Real  and  very 

Real  is  an  adjective  of  quality;    very  is  an  adverb  of 
degree : 

1.  I  think  your  new  hat  is  real — very  pretty. 

2.  We  were  very  much  alarmed  about  the  boy;  he  was 
real — very  sick. 

3.  Is  that  stone  in  your  ring  a  real — very  diamond? 

4.  Isn't  it  a  real — very  pleasant  evening? 

5.  Clara's   dress   was   trimmed   with    real — very   point 
lace. 

6.  The  climate  of  Colorado  is  real — very  healthful. 

7.  These  paper  chrysanthemums  look  real — very  nat- 
ural. 

8.  It  was  a  real — very  treat  to  listen  to  such  a  discourse. 

9.  Miss  Jackson  was  real — very  kind  to  excuse  us  from 
reciting  in  history  today. 

10.  In  this  age  of  superficiality  and  deceit,   it  is  en- 
couraging now  and  then  to  see  a  real — very  hero. 

1 1 .  We  had  a  real — very  pleasant  time  at  the  last  meeting 
of  the  club. 


92  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ADJECTIVE  OR  ADVERB 

Errors  are  very  frequently  made  in  choosing  the  word 
following  a  verb.  The  error  most  frequently  made  is  in 
using  an  adverb  of  manner  (the  form  ending  in  ly)  where  an 
adjective  should  be  used.  This  can  be  avoided  by  noting 
carefully  the  following  remarks : 

As  the  specific  use  of  such  words  as  badly,  slowly,  sadly, 
etc.  (adverbs  of  manner),  is  to  tell  how  an  action  is  performed, 
they  can  be  correctly  used  with  action  verbs  only. 

The   following  are   correct: 

The  boys  behaved   very   badly. 

They  travel   slowly. 

Slowly  and  sadly  they  laid  him  down. 

In  each  example  the  verb  is  active ;  that  is,  the  subject 
is  represented  as  doing  something,  and  badly,  slowly,  sadly, 
tell  how  the  action  is  performed. 

Let  us  remember,  however,  that  some  verbs  do  not  ex- 
press action,  and  therefore  are  not  modified  by  adverbs  of 
manner : 

Sugar  tastes  sweet. 

Sweet  names  a  quality  of  the  subject  sugar.  Sugar  is  a 
noun ;   the  modifier  of  a  noun  must  be  an  adjective. 

Tastes  does  not  express  an  action,  it  simply  asserts  the 
relation  between  sugar  and  sweet.  Sugar  is  not  represented 
as  doing  something. 

To  determine  which  to  use  in  a  sentence,  slow  or  slowly, 
quick  or  quickly,  prompt  or  promptly,  etc.,  ask  yourself 
these  questions : 

Does  the  verb  express  action  ?  Does  the  subject  do  some- 
thing ?  Is  the  word  in  question  used  to  tell  how  this  action 
is  performed  ?    If  so,  use  the  adverb. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  93 

Is  the  verb  copulative  ?  Does  it  merely  assert  the  relation 
between  the  subject  and  the  word  in  question?  Does  the 
word  following  the  verb  name  a  quality  of  the  subject? 
If  so,  use  the  adjective. 


Exercise  72 

Choose  the  right  word : 

1.  The  lake  looks  calm — calmly. 

2.  He  spoke  calm — calmly. 

3.  The  sky  looks  clear — clearly. 

4.  Then  we  saw  clear — clearly. 

5.  You  walk  too  slow — slowly. 

6.  The  man  looks  bad — badly. 

7.  She  wants  it  bad — badly. 

8.  We  listened  anxious — anxiously. 

9.  He  sees  good — well. 

10.  This  tastes  good — well. 

1 1 .  The  pain  is  near — nearly  gone. 

12.  He  stood  idle — idly  watching  the  men  at  work. 

13.  That  horse  behaves  badly — bad. 

14.  We  are  very — very  much  gratified  at  our  success. 

15.  He  was  most — almost  too  young  for  so  responsible 
a  position. 

16.  He    was    too — too    much    chagrined    to    attempt    it 
again. 

17.  This  is  easier — more  easily  said  than  done. 

18.  I  was  that — so  surprised  that  I  could  not  speak. 


94 

Exercise  73 

Write   the   following   sentences,   omitting   the   improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  I  can  build  a  house  easier — more  easily  than  I  can 
write  an  essay. 

2.  How  strange — strangely  it  all  seems! 

3.  After  his  misfortune,  the  poor  boy  looked  wretched — 
wretchedly. 

4.  All   these  flowers  smell  very  sweet — sweetly. 

5.  Doesn't    Bertha   look   beautiful — beautifully   in   her 
new  gown? 

6.  The  unkind  words  sounded  harsh — harshly  to  him. 

7.  You  do  not  write  plain — plainly  enough. 

8.  The  minister  looked  good  and  noble — well  and  nobly. 

9.  My  pen  does  not  write  good — welL 

10.  My  head  feels  bad — badly  this  morning. 

11.  You  are  doing  your  work  very  bad — badly. 

12.  The  student  answered  prompt — promptly. 

13.  Does  my  new  gown  look  good — well? 

14.  Please  speak  louder — more  loudly. 

15.  The  face  of  the  old  man  looked  positively  awful — 
awfully. 

16.  The  atmosphere  seems  fine — finely. 

17.  Talk  as  quiet — quietly  as  possible. 

18.  We  arrived  home  safe  and  sound — safely  and  soundly. 

19.  All   nature   seems   calm   and    peaceful — calmly   and 
peacefully. 

20.  The   old   lady   appeared    sad   and   mournful — sadly 
and  mournfully. 

21.  I  am  not  well  today;    I  feel  sick — sickly. 

22.  The  boy  came  back  as  quick — quickly  as  he  could. 

23.  It  seems  to  me  that  this  work  has  been  done  good — 
well  enough  for  anybody. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  95 

24.  Some  birds  fly  swifter — more  swiftly  than  others. 

25.  How  is  the  state  of  your  health  today?    Very  good 
— welly  I  thank  you. 

26.  The  mills  of  the  gods  grind  slow — slowly;   but  they 
grind  exceeding — exceedingly  small. 

27.  The  river  runs  very  rapid — rapidly. 

28.  You  must  read  more  distinct — distinctly. 

29.  He    felt   awkward — awkwardly   in    the    presence    of 
ladies. 

Exercise  74 

Strike  out  the  incorrect  italicized  words  in  the  following 
sentences : 

1.  Fortunately,  we  may  deal  with  anarchy  on  a  reason- 
able— reasonably  effective  basis. 

2.  I  bought  heavy — heavily  for  the  winter  trade. 

3.  The  price  which  we  quoted  is  considerably — consid- 
erable reduced. 

4.  His  own  generation  will  probable — probably  see  him 
a  financial,  a  physical,  and  a  moral  wreck. 

5.  We  are  offering  goods  now  at  a  remarkable — re- 
markably low  price. 

6.  If  you  think  favorable — favorably  of  my  application, 
kindly  communicate  with  Dr.  Lewis  M.  Noles. 

7.  The  cost  of  mailing  would  be  considerable — consider- 
ably. 

8.  Once  a  thing  is  done,  no  one  ever  regrets  having 
done  it  slow — slowly  and  painstaking — painstakingly j  but 
many  a  time  one  has  to  regret  having  done  a  thing  too 
rapidly — rapid  and  slighting — slightingly. 

9.  We  want  this  size  boat  to  be  made  as  cheap — cheaply 
as  possible. 


96  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISfl 

10.  Erie  seems  to  us  to  be  a  remarkable — remarkably 
good  purchase. 

11.  He  may  succeed  tolerably — tolerable  well,  but  he  is 
neither  a  Solomon  nor  a  Samson. 

12.  You  can  send  your  order  either  direct — directly  to 
us  or  through  your  advertising  agent. 

13.  The  prices  are  considerable — considerably  lower  than 
were  given  you  last  year. 

14.  You  state  that  some  way  will  probably — probable  be 
found  to  avoid  legal  proceedings. 

15.  It  seems  to  us  that  a  large  number  of  subscribers 
might  possible — possibly  be  obtained  from  your  church. 

16.  During  fifty  years  as  an  uninterrupted,  successful — 
successfully  and  conservative — conservatively  operated  com- 
pany, we  have  paid  $45,000,000  to  our  policyholders. 

17.  We  now  have  an  especially — especial  attractive  line 
of  goods. 

18.  We  desire  to  say  that  you  are  somewhat  far  away 
to  do  business  with  us  on  mutual — mutually  satisfactory 
terms. 

19.  We  regret  to  say  that  the  samples  do  not  grade 
extraordinary — extraordinarily,  and  none  can  be  called  fancy. 

20.  The  goods  can  probably — probable  be  used  later  on, 
if  not  at  present. 

21.  He  breathes  free — freely. 

22.  No  improvement  can  be  noted  in  the  apple  market 
as  yet,  and  comparative — comparatively  little  business  has 
been  done  since  you  left  here. 

23.  We  hope  that  everything  can  be  arranged  satis- 
factory— satisfactorily  betwefen  you. 

24.  Does  your  company  propose  to  repaint  this  structure 
satisfactory — satisfactorily,  or  shall  I  employ  someone  else 
to  do  the  work? 


97 

25-     You    should    have     explained     more     definitely — 
definite,  as  this  was  the  first  order  you  had  given  us. 

26.  I  would  suggest  that  they  be  arranged  alphabetical 
— alphabetically  or  chronological — chronologically. 

27.  We  do  not  think  it  advisable — advisably  to  buy  too 
heavy — heavily. 

28.  We  should  like  to  hear  from  you  occasional — occa- 
sionally with  news  from  your  part  of  the  state. 

29.  We  should  like  to  have  the  matter  pushed   to  a 
conclusion  as  quick — quickly  as  possible — possibly. 

30.  You  can  send  your  order  direct — directly  to  us. 

31.  This  paper  feels  smooth — smoothly. 

32.  The  rose  smells  sweet — sweetly. 

33.  The  wind  blows  coldly — cold. 

34.  I  feel  bad — badly. 

35.  I  felt  my  way  carefully — careful  through  the  dark 
room. 

36.  They  were  requested  to  sit  quiet — quietly  in  their 
seats. 

37.  The  candy  tastes  well — good. 

38.  The  old  man  looked  sad — sadly. 

39.  The  old  man  looked  sad — sadly  on  the  scene. 

40.  That  music  sounds  something — somewhat  like  it. 

41.  It    is    some — somewhat    cooler    today    than    it   was 
yesterday. 

42.  I  think  you  looked  well — good  in  your  new  suit. 

43.  You  should  write  accurate — accurately. 

44.  These  people  were  not  treated  so  badly — bad. 

45.  The  shoe  goes  on  easily — easy, 

46.  His  friends  looked  cold — coldly  upon  him. 

47.  You  write  plainer — more  plainly  than  I  do. 

48.  The  work  is  not  near — nearly  done  yet. 

49.  I  did  that  easier — more  easily  than  I  thought  I  could. 

50.  We  are  not  that — so  far  advanced. 


9^  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  75 

DOUBLE  NEGATIVES 

Avoid  the  use  of  two  negatives  to  express  negation. 
Correct  the  following: 

1.  The  train  doesn't  wait  for  no  one. 

2.  We  didn't  find  nobody  at  home. 
3-     The  boys  don't  want  no  holidays. 

4.  You  don't  look  no  older  than  you  did  ten  years  ago. 

5.  Nothing  can't  be  done  about  it  now. 

6.  The  doctor  said  she  would  never  be  no  better. 

7.  I  hadn't  no  money  left  when  I  got  home. 

8.  Abraham  Lincoln  never  went  to  no  college. 

9.  Don't  you  never  tell  nobody  what  I  told  you. 

10.  He  never  went  to  no  church. 

11.  Some  people  don't  seem  to  know  nothing  nohow. 


Exercise  76 

Indicate  the  use  of  each  italicized  word  in  the  following 
sentences : 


I 

2, 
3 
4 
5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 
II 


Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens. 

The  bear  hibernates  in  the  winter. 

The  bear  skin  lay  on  the  floor. 

The  flag  waved  over  the  fort. 

They  flagged  the  train. 

This  is  pungent  flxig  root. 

A  little  child  shall  lead  them. 

Little  was  expected  of  the  delicate  child. 

The  unwise  student  sleeps  little. 

He  belittled  the  action. 

The  blue  sky  was  gemmed  with  stars. 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  99 

12.  Blue  was  a  favorite  color. 

13.  The  laundress  hlued  the  clothes. 

14.  The  prisoner  paid  his  fine. 

15.  Fine  feathers  do  not  make  fine  birds. 

16.  The  man  wsls  fined  two  hundred  dollars. 

17.  The  boy  did  finely. 

18.  John  is  head  of  the  firm. 

19.  Who  heads  the  expedition  ? 

20.  The  Atlantic  liner  weathered  the  gale. 

21.  The  sailor  must  keep  his  weather  eye  open. 

22.  The  weather  was  cold  for  June. 

23.  She  was  light-hearted. 

24.  The  town  was  well  lighted. 

25.  The  electric  lights  illumine  the  streets. 

26.  He  spoke  too  lightly  of  the  solemn  subject. 

27.  Bishop  Spalding  is  an  eminent  divine. 

28.  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine. 

29.  They  divined  the  meaning  instantly. 

30.  She  was  divinely  fair. 

31.  Like  produces  like. 

32.  I  like  grammar. 

33.  We  have  like  opportunities. 


Exercise  77 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  may  an  adverb  modify? 

2.  By  what  part  of  speech  may  an  adverb  be  modified  ? 

3.  What  part  of  speech  may  an  adjective  modify  ? 

4.  By  what  part  of  speech  may  an  adjective  be  modified  ? 

5.  By  what  may  a  noun  be  modified  ? 

6.  May  a  noun  be  used  as  a  modifier? 


100  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

7.  By  what  may  a  verb  be  modified? 

8.  May  a  verb  be  used  as  a  modifier? 

9.  Explain  difference  between  action  verbs  and  cop- 
ulative verbs. 

10.     Explain  correct  use  of  "good"  and  "well." 

Correct  errors: 

1.  There  is  no  two  of  them  exactly  alike. 

2.  Can  I  leave  my  seat  for  a  few  minutes? 

3.  Is  there  anyone  in  the  class  that  don't  understand 
it? 

4.  We  don't  want  no  loafers  here. 

5.  Wasn't  you  real  glad  to  get  home? 

6.  He  don't  seem  to  bowl  as  good  as  he  used  to. 

7.  They  seem  to  me  to  be  nearly  dressed  alike. 

8.  What  did  he  say  the  name  of  this  station  was? 

9.  What  have  you  got  in  your  hand  ? 

10.  I  meant  to  have  written  it  this  morning. 

11.  I   intended  to  have  insisted  on  this  sympathy  at 
greater  length. 

12.  I  have  just  explained  to  the  class  how  to  work  those 
sort  of  questions. 

13.  Boys  like  you  and  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  be- 
have so  bad  in  church. 

14.  Such  prices  are  only  paid  in  times  of  great  scarcity. 

15.  If  I  was  in  his  place  I  would  be  glad  to  get  rid  of  it. 

16.  Be  sure  to  let  me  know  if  the  water  raises  any  higher. 

17.  This  cake  tastes  quite  nicely  after  all,  don't  it? 

18.  I  worked  steady  at  my  trade  for  two  years. 

19.  Who  was  it  that  was  talking  so  loud  in  the  next 
room? 

20.  He  seemed  to  thoroughly  understand  the  subject. 


TOJ 


PREPOSITIONS 

A  preposition  is  a  word  used  to  connect  a  noun  or  pro- 
noun to  some  other  word  in  the  sentence  and  to  show  the 
relation  between  them : 

John  is  under  the  wagon. 
James  is  in  the  wagon. 
Carl  is  beside  the  wagon. 
Charles  is  on  the  wagon. 
Tom  is  behind  the  wagon. 

A  preposition  is  not  quite  so  distinctly  definable  as  the 
other  parts  of  speech.  It  will  be  best  understood  by  closely 
observing  the  illustrations  here  given,  using  the  commonest 
words  of  the  class. 

Usually  a  preposition  is  followed  by  a  noun  or  pronoun, 
and  this  following  noun  or  pronoun  is  called  its  object. 

The  group  of  words  formed  by  a  preposition  and  its 
object  is  called  a  phrase.  Under  wagon,  in  wagon,  beside 
wagon,  on  wagon,  behind  wagon,  are  phrases. 

The  word  with  which  the  noun  or  pronoun  is  brought 
into  relation  by  the  preposition  is  called  its  antecedent. 

To  determine  the  object  of  a  preposition,  ask  what?  or 
whom?  after  the  preposition.  The  correct  answer  is  the 
object;  as,  in  the  first  example  above,  Under  what}  Under 
the  wagon. 

To  determine  the  antecedent,  ask  who?  or,  what?  before 
the  phrase  ;  as.  What  under  the  wagon  ?    Is  under  the  wagon. 

Apply  this  to  the  following  examples: 

The  antecedent  may  be  a  verb ;   as, 
He  went  with  us. 


lOA  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

•  It  leil  through  the  air  to  the  ground. 
Put  it  on  the  table. 
They  stayed  under  the  shelter. 

An  adjective ;  as, 

Good  for  nothing  Free  from  dirt 

Hoary  with  age  Prized  above  measure 

An  adverb ;  as, 

Sufficiently  for  my  purpose 

Another  noun  or  pronoun  ;  as, 

A  box  of  wood  The  top  of  the  house 

A  ring  for  the  finger  Doors  with  hinges 

Pins  without  heads  Souls  above  deceit 

The  following  are  the  propositions  most  commonly  used : 

At,  by,  of,  in,  on,  to,  up,  off,  for,  but,  down,  from,  into, 
over,  past,  save,  till,  upon,  with,  about,  above,  after,  along, 
among,  below,  since,  under,  across,  before,  behind,  beyond, 
during,  except,  toward,  within,  without,  around,  besides, 
between,  through,  against,  regarding,  concerning,  respecting, 
underneath,   throughout,  beneath. 

Phrase  prepositions : 

As  to,  as  for,  as  regards,  along  on,  aboard  of,  apart  from, 
by  way  of,  contrary  to,  devoid  of,  from  out,  from  beyond, 
instead  of,  in  place  of,  in  regard  to,  in  reference  to,  on  account 
of,  to  the  extent  of,  with  respect  to. 

Exercise  78 

Point  out  prepositions,  their  objects,  and  antecedents  in 
the  following : 

I.    The  bright  stars  twinkle  in  the  sky. 


ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  103 

2.  The  boy  ran  after  the  ball. 

3.  We  go  to  school. 

4.  She  stays  at  home. 

5.  The  smoke  rises  in  the  air  from  the  chimney, 

6.  The  leaf  fell  from  the  tree  to  the  ground. 

7.  The  night  is  dark  with  clouds. 

8.  He  rides  on  his  horse. 

9.  A  hot  fire  of  coals  is  burning. 

10.  The  dogs  barked  loudly  in  the  distant  village. 

11.  A  clock  of  wood  ticked  on  the  wall. 

12.  The  clouds  are  heavy  with  rain. 

13.  The  winds  of  winter  are  cold. 

PHRASES 

A  phrase  is  a  group  of  words  that  does  not  contain  a 
subject  and  a  predicate,  and  that  is  used  as  a  single  part  of 
speech. 

A  phrase  formed  by  a  preposition  and  its  object  is  called 
a  prepositional  phrase.  Each  of  the  groups  in  Exercise 
78  is  a  prepositional  phrase. 

A  prepositional  phrase  may  be  used  as, 

1.  An  adjective  modifier;  as,  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a 
joy  forever.  Of  beauty  is  an  adjective  phrase  modifying 
thing. 

2.  An  adverbial  modifier;  as,  The  ship  sailed  over  the 
sea.     Over  the  sea  is  an  adverbial  phrase  modifying  sailed. 

Exercise  79 

Divide  a  sheet  of  paper  into  two  columns.  Point  out 
the  phrases  and  tell  what  each  modifies,  copying  the  phrases 
in  the  second  column  and  the  words  modified  in  the  first: 

I.    A  host  of  Indian  warriors  rushed  across  the  plain. 


2;  «  The  melodious  notes  of  the  organ  were  heard  through 
the  aisles  of  the  cathedral. 

3.  The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil. 

4.  The  deep  cave  on  the  hillside  was  long  the  secret 
home  of  a  family  of  foxes. 

5.  We  gazed  with  inexpressible  pleasure  on  those  happy 
islands. 

6.  The  man  with  the  black  coat  fell  from  the  top  of 
the  wall. 

7.  He  is  an  honest  man. 

8.  The  laws  of  nature  are  the  thoughts  of  God. 

9.  The  flowers  in  the  garden  are  fragrant. 

ID.    The  beautiful  prospects  of  nature  always  excite  the 
warmest  admiration  of  mankind. 

11.  Both  men  are  worthy  of  the  position. 

12.  Wild  flowers  of  many  different  kinds  grow  in  abund- 
ance in  the  woods. 

13.  We  moved  along  silently  and  with  caution. 

14.  A  single  grateful  thought  toward  heaven  is  the  most 
complete  prayer. 

15.  The  widest  excursions  of  the  mind  are  made  by  short 
flights. 

16.  He  is  the  best  speller  in  the  class. 

17.  The  actions  of  men   are   the  best   interpreters   of 
their  thoughts. 

18.  The  doorstep  to  the  temple  of  wisdom  is  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  own  ignorance. 

19.  The  winter  palace  of  the  czar  of  Russia  is  lighted  by 
twelve  thousand  electric  lamps. 

20.  The  march  of  the  human  mind  is  slow. 

21.  Eloquence  is  a  painting  of  the  thoughts. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  IO5 

Exercise  80 

AMBIGUITY 

Owing  to  a  careless  arrangement  of  words,  sentences  are 
often  made  ambiguous  or  obscure  in  their  meaning. 

Phrases  or  clauses  should  be  placed  as  near  as  possible 
to  the  words  which  they  limit  or  modify. 

Rearrange  the  following  sentences  so  as  to  make  their 
meaning  clear.  In  the  first  five,  the  phrases  to  be  trans- 
posed, as  well  as  the  words  next  to  which  they  are  to  be 
placed,  are  printed  in  italic  type: 

1.  Mr.  Washington  will  address  the  students  in  addi- 
tion to   several  other  speakers. 

2.  There  is  an  interesting  account  of  the  finding  of 
Moses  in  the  Bible. 

3.  For  sale:  A  piano  by  a  gentleman  with  mahogany 
legs. 

4.  Lost :  A  cow  by  an  old  woman  with  brass  knobs  on 
her  horns. 

5.  Last  week  a  little  girl  was  run  over  by  a  wagon 
with  a  yellow  dress  on. 

6.  We  saw  a  man  cleaning  the  street  with  red  whiskers. 

7.  Look  at  the  man  digging  a  hole  with  a  big  nose. 

8.  The  store  will  be  conducted  by  the  son  of  Mr. 
Simpson  who  died  last  winter  on  a  new  and  improved  plan. 

9.  A  young  woman  was  arrested  yesterday  while  I  was 
preaching  in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxication. 

ID.  Wanted:  A  young  man  to  take  care  of  horses  of  a 
religious  disposition. 

11.  How  strange  it  is  that  men  often  fail  to  appreciate 
the  spiritual  natures  of  women  through  their  perverted 
notions  of  right  and  wrong. 

12.  I  love  to  sit  and  meditate  on  the  great  problems 


I06  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

of  existence  by  the  side  of  a  great  mountain  torrent  or  within 
the  sound  of  the  sad  sea  waves. 

13.  Furnished   apartment  suitable  for  gentlemen  with 
folding  doors. 

14.  Wanted:  A  boy  to  open  oysters  with  a  reference. 

15.  The  man  was  stabbed  and  it  was  expected  that  he 
would  die  for  some  time. 

16.  He  went  to  see  his  friends  on  horseback. 

17.  We  heard  a  lecture  on  teaching  geography  at  ten 
o'clock. 

18.  These  verses  were  written  by  a  young  man  who  has 
long  since  lain  in  his  grave  for  amusement. 


CHOICE  OF  PREPOSITION 

These  little  words  are  the  source  of  many  errors  in  speech 
because  of  the  difficulty  of  knowing  in  each  case  just  which 
preposition  to  use  after  a  given  word. 

A  list  of  words  followed  by  their  appropriate  prepositions 
might  easily  be  compiled  and  the  student  required  to  learn 
them ;  but  the  better  way  is  to  form  the  habit  of  looking 
in  the  dictionary  when  in  doubt  about  any  particular 
case  and  then  to  fix  that  use  in  mind. 

There  are,  however,  a  few  prepositions  so  commonly 
misused  that  attention  should  be  especially  called  to  them. 


Exercise  81 

In  and  into 

After  a  verb  indicating  the  motion  of  a  person  or  thing 
from  one  place  to  another,  the  preposition  into  should  be 
used ;   after  a  verb  expressing  the  idea  of  rest,  or  in  some 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  IO7 

cases,  movement  within  a  certain  place,  the  preposition  in 
is  employed. 

Write   the   following  sentences,   omitting  the   improper 
italicized  word : 

1.  James  has  just  gone  out  in — into  the  hall. 

2.  The  boy  was  swimming  in — into  the  river. 

3.  He  dropped  his  knife  in — into  the  lake. 

4.  The  lady  was  walking  about  very  excitedly  in — into 
her  room. 

5.  Longfellow   said:     **In — into   each   life   some   rain 
must  fall." 

6.  Put  some  coal  in — into  the  scuttle,  and  take  it  in— 
into  the  house. 

7.  He  moves  in — into  the  best  society. 

8.  At  last  he  came  in — into  possession  of  his  property. 

9.  The  baby  was  sleeping  peacefully  in — into  its  cradle. 

10.  The  balloon  ascended  high  up  in — into  the  clouds. 

11.  All  Gaul  is  divided  in— into  three  parts. 

12.  She  threw  the  letter  in — into  the  fire. 

13.  I   found  myself  in — into  a  large,  finely  furnished 
house  in — into  which  the  family  had  recently  moved. 

14.  Mr.  Spaulding  resides  in — into  the  suburbs. 

15.  The  bird  flew  up  in — into  the  tree  before  I  had 
time  to  load  my  gun. 

16.  There  is  some  good  to  be  found  in — into  everybody. 

17.  The  ball  came  down  in — into  the  pond  which  was 
in — into  the  middle  of  the  field. 

18.  She  was  surprised,  on  looking  in — into  the  room,  to 
find  no  one  there. 

19.  Every  week  he  put  some  money  in — into  the  bank. 

20.  There  are  nearly  fifty  states  in — into  the  Union. 

21.  James  took  great  interest  in — into  his  studies. 

22.  Said  the  drummerboy,  "I  can  beat  a  charge  that 
will  make  the  dead  fall  in — into  line.'* 


loS  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

23.  I  am  about  to  go  in — into  a  new  country  where  I 
shall  be  a  stranger  in — into  a  strange  land. 

24.  Charles  dropped  his  dollar  in — into  the  creek. 


Exercise  82 

Between  and  among 

Between  signifies  hy  twain y  and  should  be  used  only  in 
reference  to  two  objects  ;  among  is  used  when  three  or  more 
objects  are  considered.  Do  not  say  between  each  or  every; 
say  after  each,  before  each,  or  beside  each,  etc. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words  : 

1.  The  old  gentleman's  property  was  divided  among — 
between  his  five  sons. 

2.  In  writing  your  sentences  leave  a  blank  line  after — 
between — among  each. 

3.  There  was  always  more  or  less  ill-feeling  between — 
among  the  two  girls. 

4.  The  three  countries  of   Gaul   differed   among — be- 
tween themselves  in  language,  customs,  and  laws. 

5.  The    farmer    planted    pumpkins    after — beside — be- 
tween— among  each  row  of  corn. 

6.  It  is  desirable  to  have  a  system  of  international 
arbitration  among — between  all  countries. 

7.  The  teacher  divided  all  the  oranges  among — between 
the  members  of  the  class. 

8.  The  jury  disagreed  between — among  themselves. 

9.  The   children   divided    the   apples   between — among 
themselves. 

ID.  The  property  was  divided  among — between  the  two 
boys. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  IO9 

11.  The  several  firms  divided  the  profits  between — among 
themselves. 

12.  He  divided  his  estate  between — among  his  son, 
daughter,  and  nephew. 

Exercise  83 

1.  I  shall  see  you  during — sometime  within  the  week. 

2.  I  do  not  approve  of — approve  his  conduct. 

3.  Are  you  angry  at — with  me? 

4.  He  fell  from  ojff — from  the  bridge  in — into  the  water. 

5.  He   entered    the   room   accompanied   with — by   his 
father. 

6.  The  banquet  was  followed  with — by  a  dance. 

7.  I  shall  be  glad  to  accept  of — accept  your  hospitality. 

8.  He  boasted  about — of  his  great  learning. 

9.  I  have  been  to — at — in  New  York. 

10.  I  differ  from — ivith  you  in  opinion. 

11.  The  sultry  evening  was  followed  with — by  a  rain. 

12.  He  died  with — of  a  fever. 

13.  He  went  out  on — of  a  fine  morning. 

14.  The  water  ran  all  over — over  all  the  street. 

15.  He  cut  the  stick  into — in  two. 

16.  Get  on  to — on  the  train. 

17.  We  shall  call  upon — on  you  in  the  near  future. 

18.  We  shall  depend  upon — on  you  to  do  the  work. 

19.  He  put  his  hat  upon — on  his  head. 

20.  He  died  with — of  the  smallpox. 

21.  Divide  the  money  between — among  the  three  boys. 

Insertion  and  omission 

Do  not  use  prepositions  that  are  not  needed ;  as.  Where 
are  you  going  to  ?  Where  are  you  at?  I  can  not  help  from 
admiring  him. 


no  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

As  a  general  rule,  we  should  avoid  closing  a  sentence  with 
a  preposition. 

Do  not  omit  prepositions  required  by  the  sense. 


Exercise  84 

Strike  out  the  redundant  prepositions  and  supply  omitted 
prepositions : 

1.  He  met  a  girl  of  about  ten  years  of  age. 

2.  Napoleon  stood  pondering  upon  what  he  should  do. 

3.  They  went  on  to  the  train. 

4.  Look  out  of  the  door. 

5.  A  workman  fell  off  of  the  roof. 

6.  We  must  examine  into  this  statement  more  care- 
fully. 

7.  That  child  copies  after  her  teacher. 

8.  Where  is  she  at? 

9.  Where  are  you  going  to? 

10.  He  is  a  young  man  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-six 
years  of  age. 

11.  Here,  John,  smell  of  this  rose. 

12.  Did  you  taste  of  the  food? 

13.  What  use  is  it  to  me? 

14.  Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  fear  as  well  as  admiration. 

15.  I  admit  of  what  you  say. 

16.  She  could  not  refrain  shedding  tears. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  III 

Exercise  85 

.   REVIEW  TEST 

Classify  the  italicized  words  in  the  following  sentences, 
arranging  the  nouns  in  the  first  column,  adjectives  in  the 
second,  verbs  in  the  third,  adverbs  in  the  fourth,  prepositions 
in  the  fifth  : 

1.  Sleep  not  when  others  speak,  sit  not  when  others  stand, 
speak  not  when  you  should  hold  your  peace,  walk  not  when 
others  stop. 

2.  Read  no  letters,  books,  or  papers  in  company;  but 
when  there  is  a  necessity  for  doing  it,  you  must  ask  leave. 
Come  not  near  the  books  or  writings  of  anyone  so  as  to 
read  them,  unless  desired,  nor  give  your  opinion  of  them 
unasked ;  also,  look  not  nigh  when  another  is  writing  a 
letter. 

3.  Let  your  discourse  with  men  of  business  be  short  and 
comprehensive. 

4.  Undertake  not  to  teach  your  equal  in  the  art  he 
himself  professes :   it  savors  of  arrogancy. 

5.  Play  not  the  peacock,  looking  everywhere  about  you 
to  see  if  you  be  well  decked,  if  your  shoes  fit  well,  if  your 
stockings  fit  neatly,  and  clothes  handsomely. 

6.  Go  not  thither  where  you  know  not  whether  you  shall 
be  welcome  or  not.  Give  not  advice  without  being  asked, 
and  when  desired,  do  it  briefly. 

7.  Think  before  you  speak;  pronounce  not  imperfectly, 
nor  bring  out  your  words  too  hastily,  but  orderly  and  dis- 
tinctly. 

8.  Undertake  not  what  you  can  not  perform,  but  be 
careful  to  keep  your  promise. 

Q.  When  you  speak  of  God  or  his  attributes,  let  it  be 
seriously,  in  reverence.  Honor  and  obey  your  natural  parents, 
although  they  be  poor. 


112  ROSSS  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


CONJUNCTIONS 


A  conjunction  is  a  word  used  to  connect  words,  phrases, 
or  clauses. 

EXAMPLES 

Connecting  words: 

Mercy  and  truth  have  met  together. 
Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man. 
Silver  and  gold  are  precious  metals. 
The  children  will  laugh  and  play. 

Connecting  phrases: 

They  passed  through  the  door  and  across  the  room. 
We  walked  through  the  park  and  across  the  bridge. 
Dispatches  were  received  from   Chicago  and  from  New 
York, 
There  they  dwelt  in  the  love  of  God  and  of  man. 
These  are  the  laws  of  nature  and  of  nature's  God. 

Connecting  clauses: 

You  must  return  the  hook  or  /  shall  lose  the  lesson. 
Courage  is  admirable,  but  patience  is  powerful. 
I  shall  go  unless  you  object. 
Flowers  bloom  when  spring  comes. 
I  would  tell  who  did  it  if  /  knew. 

The  following  are  the  principal  coordinate  conjunctions: 

And,  both,  but,  either — or,  neither,  also,  likewise,  as  well 
as,  not  only — ^but,  partly,  first,  secondly,  moreover,  now, 
well,  else,  otherwise,  still,  yet,  further,  notwithstanding, 
however,  therefore,  wherefore,  hence,  whence,  consequently, 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  II3 

nor,  accordingly,  thus,  so,  so  that,  so  then,  nevertheless, 
either,  neither — nor,  or,  whether — or,  besides,  both — and. 

The  following  are  the  principal  subordinate  conjunctions : 

Notwithstanding,  albeit,  in  order  that,  lest,  in  case  that, 
on  condition  that,  ere,  till,  while,  whether — or,  until,  as 
soon  as,  supposing,  otherwise,  since,  though,  that,  than, 
unless,  whether,  so  that,  before,  after,  whereas,  as,  although, 
because,  except,  for,  if,  inasmuch  as,  provided. 


CONJUNCTION  AND  PREPOSITION 

The  difference  between  a  conjunction  and  a  preposition 
should  be  studied  carefully. 

A  conjunction  merely  connects  words,  phrases,  or  clauses, 
while  a  preposition  connects  a  noun  or  pronoun  to  some 
other  word  and  shows  the  relation  between  them. 

Compare  the  following  examples : 

Conjunctions  Prepositions 

Carthage  and  Rome  were  He  will  spend  the  winter 

rival  powers.  in  Rome. 

He  is  studying  history  and  I  am  very  fond  of  music, 
music. 

The  commissioner  will  in-  The   man  walked   in   the 

spect  the  street  and  alley.  street. 

The  child  tries  to  do  things  The  child  looks  very  much 

as  his  father  does  them.  like  his  father. 

One    can    not    expect    to  John    is    fond    of    all    his 

learn    grammar    unless    one  studies   except  grammar, 
studies  it  diligently. 


114 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

PHRASES  AND  CLAUSES 


A  phrase  is  a  group  of  closely  connected  words  that  does 
not  contain  a  subject  and  predicate.  Phrases  are  introduced 
by  prepositions  (also  participles  and  infinitives). 

A  clause  is  a  part  of  a  sentence  which  does  contain  a  sub- 
ject and  a  predicate.    Clauses  are  connected  by  conjunctions. 

A  clause  contains  a  verb ;   a  phrase  does  not. 

A  clause  (independent)  makes  sense  in  itself;  a  phrase 
asserts  nothing : 


Clauses 

The  walls  are  high,  and  the 
shores  are  deep. 

Every  day  is  a  little  life 
and  our  whole  life  is  but  a 
day  repeated. 

The  ravine  was  full  of  snow, 
but  it  had  once  been  full  of 
water. 

The  harvest  truly  is  plen- 
teous, but  the  laborers  are  few. 

I  shall  not  remain  here 
longer,  for  the  climate  is  in- 
jurious to  my  health. 


Phrases 
He  stood  on  the  bridge. 

'Twas    the    night    before 
Christmas. 

The   tree   was   struck   by 
lightning. 

He  died  for  his  country. 

The   eyes   of  the   sleepers 
waxed  deadly  and  chill. 


Exercise  86 


Point  out  prepositions  and  conjunctions.  Name  the 
objects  and  antecedents  of  prepositions.  Tell  what  the 
conjunctions  connect: 

1.  She  gave  me  of  the  tree  and  I  did  eat. 

2.  Put  it  on  the  table  or  into  your  pocket. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  II5 

3.  They  stayed  until  night  under  shelter. 

4.  They  listened,  but  they  could  not  hear. 

5.  Men  may  live  fools,  but  fools  they  can  not  die. 

6.  The  bird  could  not  fly,  because  someone  had  wounded 
it  with  a  stone. 

7.  Idleness  and  ignorance  are  the  parents  of  vice  and 
misery. 

8.  They  live  in  the  city,  but  they  work  in  the  country. 

9.  The  kangaroo  and   the  black  swan  are  found   in 
Australia. 

10.  They  always  thought  that  Brutus  was  an  honorable 
man. 

11.  I  went  before  the  company.  He  died  before  I  was 
born. 

12.  He  works  for  me.     Be  kind  to  him,  for  he  is  good. 

13.  Up  the  mountain  and  through  the  glen,  he  takes 
his  silent  way. 

14.  Johnson  went  to  Congress,  while  his  children^went 
to  the  penitentiary  and  the  prison. 

15.  Out  of  the  yard  and  up  the  street  he  rushed. 

16.  I  shall  go  if  he  invites  me  and  they  come  after  me. 

17.  If  a  man  empties  his  purse  into  his  head,  no  one 
can  take  it  away  from  him. 

18.  When  a  man  has  not  a  good  reason  for  doing  a  thing, 
he  has  one  good  reason  for  letting  it  alone. 

Exercise  87 

Like  and  as 

Like,  with  to  understood,  is  equivalent  to  a  preposition, 
and  introduces  a  phrase ;  as  is  3.  conjunction  and  joins 
clauses. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words: 


Il6  ROSS's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1.  I  don't  seem  to  be  able  to  write  like — as  my  sister 
can. 

2.  The   lad    certainly   looks   very    much    like — as   his 
father. 

3.  I  wish  I  could  add  a  column  of  figures  like — as  the 
teacher  does. 

4.  How  much  the  photograph  looks  like — as  the  original. 

5.  No  one  will  miss  the  old  home  like — as  I  shall. 

6.  Each  of  the  twins  acts  precisely  like — as  the  other. 

7.  It  looks  like  it  was — as  if  it  were  fifty  miles  away. 

8.  All  these  things  seem  just  like — as  old  times. 

9.  They  don't  study  spelling  these  days  like — as  they 
used  to. 

10.  No  singer  of  the  present  day  has  a  voice  like — as 
Patti's. 

11.  In  some  respects,  Stevenson  writes  like — as  Kipling 
does. 

12.  To    read    Hawthorne's    Marble    Faun    is    like — as 
walking  through  the  streets  of  Rome. 

13.  The  man  looks  like  he  was — as  if  he  were  an  actor. 


Exercise  88 

Except,  without,  unless 

Except  and  without  are  prepositions  and  introduce  phrases ; 
unless  is  a  conjunction  and  joins  clauses. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  Except — without — unless  you  practice  diligently,  you 
can  not  become  a  good  penman. 

2.  Father  would   not  go   to  church  without — except — 
unless  mother  went  too. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  tl^ 

3.  No  one  in  the  whole  class  had  his  lesson  except — 
Unless — without  Harry  Mills. 

4.  I   do  not  like  to  read   anything  without — except — 
unless  it  is  a  detective  story. 

5.  Charlie  could   never  understand   the  examples  ex- 
cept— without — unless  someone  explained   them. 

6.  He  did  not  like  any  out-door  games  except — unless — 
without  football. 

7.  One  can't  understand  English  fully  except — unless — 
without  a  knowledge  of  the  classics. 

8.  One  will  soon  get  behind  the  times  without — except — 
unless  he  reads  a  great  deal. 

9.  It  is  impossible  to  secure  good  results  in  photog- 
raphy except — without — unless  you  follow  directions  closely. 

10.  Many  studies  have  little  practical  value  except — 
unless — without  the  mental  training  which  they  afford. 

11.  Nothing  of  importance  can  be  accomplished  in  this 
world  except — without — unless  labor  and  toil. 

12.  Shakespeare  could  never  have  wqtten  his  great  plays 
except — without — unless  he  had  understood  human  nature 
thoroughly. 

13.  The  old  man  had  nothing  left  to  comfort  him  without 
— except — unless  his  faith  in  God. 

14.  He  was  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land — except — without 
— unless  home  or   friends. 

15.  One  can  never  succeed  in  his  undertaking  without — 
unless — except  he  persevere  to  the  end. 


ii8 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


CORRELATIVES 

Correlative  conjunctions  are  conjunctions  used  in  pairs, 
the  first  introducing  and  the  second  connecting  the  elements. 
The  principal  correlatives  are : 

Both and  :  He  is  both  wise  and  good. 

Neither nor  :  Neither  time  nor  money  was  spared. 

Though yet :  Though  he  slay  me  yet  will  I  trust  him. 

Either or :  He  is  either  a  knave  or  a  fool. 

Whether or  :  It  matters  not  whether  he  goes  or  stays. 

PLACING  CORRELATIVES 


Care  should  be  exercised  in  placing  correlatives.  They 
should  be  placed  just  before  the  words  or  phrases  connected. 
Study  the  following  examples  : 


Incorrect 

He  gave  me  not  only  the 
grammar,  hut  also  lent  me  a 
dictionary. 

You  may  either  paint  a 
picture  that  represents  a 
scene,  or  your  street  door  to 
keep  it  from  rotting. 

It  was  finally  decided  to 
hold  the  meeting  either  in 
Cleveland  or  Cincinnati. 

You  can  neither  count  for 
success  in  this  course  nor  in 
the  other. 

I  either  misunderstood  you 
or  you  are  mistaken. 


Correct 

He  not  only  gave  me  the 
grammar,  but  also  lent  me  a 
dictionary. 

You  may  paint  either  a 
picture  that  represents  a 
scene,  or  your  street  door  to 
keep  it  from  rotting. 

It  was  finally  decided  to 
hold  the  meeting  in  either 
Cleveland  or  Cincinnati. 

You  can  count  for  success 
neither  in  this  course  nor  in 
the  other. 

Either  I  misunderstood 
you  or  you  are  mistaken. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  II9 

Exercise  89 

Either — or,  neither — nor 

These  conjunctions  are  always  properly  used  with  ref- 
erence to  two  things  only.  Or  should  be  used  correlatively 
with  either,  and  nor  with  neither.  They  should  always  be 
placed  one  immediately  before  each  of  the  two  expressions 
which  are  contrasted. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  We  do  not  either  believe  in  either  mesmerism  wor — or 
hypnotism. 

2.  Edwin  Booth  was  an  actor  who  was  either  at  ease 
either  in  comedy  or  in  tragedy. 

3.  Neither  he  nor — or  his  sister  had  much  to  say. 

4.  Either  I  am  either  much  misinformed,  or  he  is  greatly 
mistaken. 

5.  These  three  roads  all  lead  to  the  house  you  seek ; 
take  either — any  one  of  them. 

6.  We  had  neither — no  clothes,  food,  or — nor  shelter. 

7.  He  was  neither  familiar  with   neither  the   customs 
or — nor  the  language  of  the  people. 

8.  The  lady  was  neither  adapted  by  neither  training 
nor  experience  to  that  kind  of  work. 

9.  There  were  five  vacant  houses  in  the  block,  and  the 
landlord  said  we  might  have  either — any  one  of  them. 

10.  It  was  a  terrible  fire ;  and  neither — not  any  of  the 
people,  the  furniture,  nor  the  houses  were  saved. 

11.  I  can  either  come  on  either  Wednesday  or  Thursday 
evening. 

12.  I  didn't  either  like  either  the  play  or  the  actors. 

13.  Either  one  must  either  obey  the  laws,  or  take  the 
consequences. 


I20  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

14.  I  visited  London,  Paris,  and  Vienna ;  but  I  did  not 
like  either  city — any  one  of  the  cities. 

15.  We  are  neither  acquainted  with  neither  the  minister 
nor — or  his  family. 

16.  He  was  neither  fitted  by  neither  ability  nor  disposi- 
tion to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  his  father. 

Exercise  90 

As — aSy  so — as 

Where  equality  is  stated,  use  as — as  ;  in  negative  compar- 
isons, use  so — as: 

1.  A  miss  is  as — so  good  as  a  mile. 

2.  Paris  is  not  as — so  large  as  London. 

3.  Write  as — so  many  sentences  as  you  can. 

4.  He  does  not  like  poetry  as — so  well  as  he  does  prose. 

5.  There  was  a  long  row  of  trees  extending  as — so  far 
as  you  could  see. 

6.  Typewriting  is  not  as — so  difficult  as  shorthand. 

7.  He  was  as — so  true  as  steel. 

8.  Harry  could  not  write  as — so  well  as  James. 

9.  Do  you  find  geometry  as — so  interesting  as  algebra  ? 

10.  I  do  not  like  Browning  as — so  well  as  Shakespeare. 

11.  The  Bunker  Hill  Monument  is  not  as — so  high  as 
the  one  at  Washington. 

Exercise  91 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  a  noun? 

2.  Give  an  example  of  each  kind  of  noun. 

3.  Give  two  rules  for  forming  possessive. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  121 

4.  Give  two  rules  for  forming  the  feminine. 

5.  What  is  an  adjective  ? 

6.  By  what  part  of  speech  may  an  adjective  be  modi- 
fied? 

7.  What  is  an  adverb? 

8.  By  what  part  of  speech  may  an  adverb  be  modified  ? 

9.  Explain  how  to  distinguish  between  an  adjective  and 
an  adverb  of  manner;  as,  sweet  and  sweetly,  safe  and 
safely,  etc. 

ID.  Give  rule  for  placing  an  adverb. 

11.  Illustrate  transitive  and  intransitive  verbs. 

12.  By  what  may  a  verb  be  modified? 

13.  What  governs  the  number  form  of  the  verb  ?    Illus- 
trate. 

14.  Give  the  principal  parts  of :  wring,  go,  swim,  drink, 
rise. 

15.  Show  by  illustration  the  difference  between  a  phrase 
and  a  clause. 

16.  What  is  a  correlative? 

17.  Give  rule  for  placing  correlatives.     Illustrate. 


Exercise  92 

Sentences  to  be  corrected : 

1.  A  placid  river  winds  between  the  old  and  new  plan- 
tation. 

2.  Many  a  farewell  tear  were  shed. 

3.  The  sum  of  these  angles  are  180  degrees. 

4.  This  sentence  sounds  rather  queerly,  don't  it? 

5.  They  look  something  alike,  to. 

6.  Take  the  three  first  examples. 

8.    Teacher,  can  I  please  speak  to  Mary? 

3.    Whom  did  the  youngest  of  your  two  cousins  marry  ? 


122 


9-     Of  these  four  captains,  neither  showed  any  fitness 
for  the  place. 

10.  He  thinks  he  knows  more  than  anybody. 

11.  She  watches  me  Uke  a  cat  watches  a  mouse. 

12.  You  are  advised  to  thoroughly  review  all  your  work 
on  this  course. 

13.  You  eat  it  with  a  spoon  like  you  would  a  custard. 

14.  I  only  recite  once  a  day. 

15.  I  will  neither  give  you  money  nor  favors. 

16.  It  will  not  merely  interest  children,  but  grown-up 
people  too. 

17.  In  one  evening  I  counted  a  large  number  of  meteors 
sitting  on  my  piazza. 


ROSSS  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  123 


PRONOUNS 

A  pronoun  is  a  word  that  is  used  instead  of  a  noun. 

Pronouns  are  used  to  avoid  the  monotonous  repetition  of 
nouns.  The  sentence,  John  put  John's  book  into  John's 
desk,  is  grammatically  correct,  but  it  is  much  more  pleasing 
to  the  ear  to  say,  John  put  his  books  into  his  desk. 

Pronouns  are  divided  into  four  classes :  personal,  rela- 
tive, interrogative,  and  indefinite  or  adjective. 


PERSONAL  PRONOUNS 

A  personal  pronoun  is  a  pronoun  that  shows  by  its 
form  whether  it  represents  the  speaker,  the  person  spoken 
to,  or  the  person  spoken  of. 

Example  :  I  saw  you  and  her.  Here  I  is  used  to  represent 
the  speaker ;  you^  instead  of  the  name  of  the  person  spoken 
to ;   and  her,  instead  of  the  name  of  the  person  spoken  of. 

The  first  person  denotes  the  speaker :  I,  me,  my,  mine, 
we,  our,  us. 

The  second  person  denotes  the  person  spoken  to :  you, 
your,  yours. 

The  third  person  denotes  the  person  spoken  of :  he,  she, 
it,  his,  her,  hers,  its,  him,  they,  them. 

The  other  properties  of  personal  pronouns  are  gender, 
number,  and  case.  These  terms  have  been  defined  in  the 
lesson  on  nouns, 


124  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

AGREEMENT  WITH  ANTECEDENT 

The  form  of  a  personal  pronoun  as  to  person,  number, 
and  gender,  is  governed  by  its  antecedent. 

The  antecedent  is  the  word  for  which  the  pronoun 
stands.     It  may  be  expressed  or  understood. 

Example :  John  said  that  he  would  come  to  see  me  as 
soon  as  he  found  his  books. 

The  antecedent  of  he  and  his  is  John.  John  is  the  word 
that  would  have  to  be  repeated  if  we  had  no  pronouns. 
He  and  his  are  third  person,  singular  number,  masculine 
gender,  agreeing  with  John.  The  antecedent  of  me  is  the 
name  of  the  speaker  understood. 

Following  is  the  declension  of  the  personal  pronouns; 
i.  e.,  a  table  showing  the  changes  that  they  undergo  to 
express  their  relations  of  person,  number,  gender,  and  case. 

FIRST  PERSON 

Singular  Plural 

Nominative I  we 

Possessive my,  mine  our,  ours 

Objective me  us 

SECOND  PERSON 

Singular  Plural 

Nominative you  you 

Possessive your,  yours  your,  yours 

Objective you  you 

THIRD  PERSON 

Singular  Plural 

Mas.      Fem.  Neut. 

Nominative he  she  it  they 

Possessive his         her,  hers  its  their,  theirs 

Objective him       her  it  them 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  93 


125 


Draw  a  line  connecting  each  pronoun  with  its  antecedent 

1.  John  has 'recited  his  lesson. 

2.  The  eagle  soars  above  his  nest. 

3.  The  jury  was  a  long  time  in  reaching  its  decision. 

4.  As  the  ground  was  before,  thus  let  it  be. 

5.  Let  every  pupil  use  his  own  book. 

6.  The  poor  widow  lost  her  only  son. 

7.  The  village  master  taught  his  little  school. 

8.  Keep  thy  tongue  from  evil. 

9.  The  boys  said  they  did  not  wish  to  go. 


Exercise  94 

SPECIAL  RULES 

Antecedents  connected  by  and 

I.     When  a  pronoun  represents  two  or  more  antecedents 
in  the  singular  connected  by  and,  it  must  be  plural. 

Example:    The  secretary  and  the  treasurer  have  made 
their  reports. 

2.  When,  however,  the  antecedents  are  but  different 
names  for  the  same  person  or  thing,  the  pronoun  must  be 
singular. 

Example :     The    eminent    lawyer    and    statesman    has 
resigned  his  office. 

3.  When  two  or  more  antecedents  connected  by  and,  are 
preceded  by  each,  every,  or  no,  the  pronoun  must  be  singular. 

Example :    There  is  no  day  and  no   hour  without    its 
cares. 

4.  When  the  antecedents  taken  together  are  regarded  as 
a  single  thing,  the  pronoun  must  be  singular. 


126  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Example:    The  horse  and  wagon  is  in  its  place. 

Tell  which  of  the  italicized  words  is  correct,  and  why: 

1.  Each  man  and  each  boy  did  his—^their  duty. 

2.  Every  hill  and   every  mountain  has  its — their  re- 
ports. 

3.  The   secretary   and   treasurer   has   made   his — their 
reports. 

4.  The  secretary  and  the  treasurer  have  made  his — their 
reports. 

5.  Bread    and    butter    have — has    its — their    place    on 
nearly  everyone's  table. 

6.  Your  coat  and  hat  is — are  in  its — their  place. 

7.  The  child  wants  some  bread  and  milk.     Will  you 
get  it — them  ? 

8.  Every  citizen  and  soldier  must  be  ready  to  guard 
his — their  country's  honor. 

9.  Every  house  and  lot  has — Have  its — their  price  set 
opposite  its — their  number. 

10.     Every  street  and  alley  was  filled  to  its — their  capac- 
ity. 

Exercise  95 

Antecedents  connected  by  or  or  nor 

1.  A  pronoun  with   two   or   more    antecedents   in   the 
singular,  connected  by  or  or  nor,  must  be  singular. 

Example :     Neither  James  nor  John  recited  his  lesson. 

2.  When  one  of  the  antecedents  is  plural,  it  should  be 
placed  last,  and  the  pronoun  should  be  plural : 

Example:     Neither  the  general  nor  his  soldiers  realized 
their  danger. 

1.  Either  Mary  or  Ellen  will  lend  you  her — their  pencil. 

2.  If  you  see  him  or  his  friends,  tell  him — them  I  am 
waiting. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  127 

3.  Poverty  or  wealth  have  their — has  its  own  temptations. 

4.  If  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it — them  off. 

5.  Either  George  or  his  brothers  will  lend  you  their — 
his  help. 

Exercise  96 

COLLECTIVE  NOUNS  AS  ANTECEDENTS 

1.  A  pronoun  whose  antecedent   is  a  collective  noun 
conveying  the  idea  of  unity,  should  be  in  the  neuter  singular. 

Example :    The  firm  is  nearly  ready  to  move  into  its 
new  building. 

2.  If  the  antecedent  be  a  collective  noun  conveying  the 
idea  of  plurality,  the  pronoun  should  be  plural. 

Example :    Mr.  Jones's  family  are  in  Washington  and 
Baltimore. 

1.  The  jury  could  not  agree  in  its — their  verdict. 

2.  The  jury  was  a  long  time  in  reaching  its — their  de- 
cision. 

3.  The  committee  finally  made  its — their  report. 

4.  In  America,  the  people  make  their — makes  its  laws. 

5.  The  society  will  hold  its — their  meeting  tonight. 


Exercise  97 

ANTECEDENTS  DISTINGUISHED 

When  the  antecedents  are  emphatically  distinguished 
by  such  connectives  as  as  well  as,  and  not,  in  addition  to, 
etc.,  the  pronoun  should  agree  in  number  with  the  first. 

Example:    The  father,  as  well  as  the  sons,  did  his  duty. 

I.     Capital,  and  labor  also,  must  have  its — their  rights. 


128  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

2.  The  letter,  as  well  as  the  packages,  found  its — their 
way  to  the  dead  letter  office. 

3.  The  country,  and  not  the  government,  has  its — have 
their  admirers. 

4.  Correspondence,    in    addition    to    grammar,    should 
have  its — their  place  in  every  curriculum. 


Exercise  98 

COMMON-GENDER  ANTECEDENTS 

1.  There  is  no  third-person  singular-number  common- 
gender  pronoun  in  English.  When  the  antecedent  requires 
such  a  pronoun,  the  masculine  he,  his,  him  is  used. 

Example :     Each  pupil  should  prepare  his  own  lesson. 

2.  When  special  accuracy  is  desired,  a  pronoun  of  the 
masculine  and  one  of  the  feminine  gender  may  be  used. 

Example :  Each  pupil  should  prepare  his  or  her  own 
lesson. 

3.  When  two  or  more  antecedents  are  of  different  genders, 
each  antecedent  must  be  represented  by  a  pronoun  of  its 
own  gender. 

Example:  Each  boy  or  girl  should  prepare  his  or  her 
own  lessons. 

Grammarians  tell  us  that  it  is  also  correct  to  use  a  plural 
pronoun  that  may  represent  both  genders  and  say :  Each 
boy  or  girl  should  prepare  their  own  lessons. 

It  is  better,  however,  to  avoid  these  repetitions  by  using 
a  common-gender  antecedent. 

Correct  or  improve  the  following  sentences: 

1.  Not  one  of  them  saw  their  mistake. 

2.  Everybody  should  be  his — their  own  most  severe 
critic. 


129 


3.  Anyone  can  do  this  if  they  try. 

4.  No  father  or  mother  lives  that  does  not  love  his  or 
her  children. 

5.  Any  one  of  their  methods  is  good  enough  in  their 
way. 

6.  Any  person  violating  this  rule  does  so  at  their  own 
risk. 

7.  Every  member  is  expected  to  do  his  or  her  duty. 

8.  Everybody  should  work  for  their  own  success. 

9.  An  applicant  shows  by  his — their  application  whether 
he — they  has — have  a  good  education. 

10.     No  man  or  woman  is  allowed  to  leave  his  or  her 
wraps  in  the  office. 


Exercise  99 

Write   the   following   sentences,   omitting   the   improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  Everybody  in  the  world  have  their — has  his  faults. 

2.  I  want  each  pupil  to  do  their — his  own  work. 

3.  If  anyone  is  ambitious,  it  behooves  him — them  to 
attend. 

4.  Everybody  present  had  their  hats — his  hat  on. 

5.  Has  everybody  written  his — their  exercises? 

6.  I  should  like  each  one,  as  soon  as  they  finish — he 
finishes,  to  raise  their — his  hand. 

7.  Any  student  who  works  faithfully  will  receive  his — 
their  reward. 

8.  Every  one  of  the  men  had  their — his  own  idea  on 
the  subject. 

9.  The  ship  was  saved  only  by  the  efforts  of  her — its 
crew. 

10.     Each  of  the  witnesses  told  his — their  story. 


130  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

11.  Everybody  feels  that  he  has — they  have  certain  in- 
alienable rights. 

12.  After  a  long  time,  the  jury  brought  in  their — its 
verdict. 

13.  We  waited  for  the  committee  to  make  their — its 
report. 

14.  Neither  one  of  the  boys  wrote  their — his  sentences 
correctly. 

15.  Either  of  these  methods  is — are  good  enough  in 
their — its  way. 

16.  Not  one  of  these  inkwells  have  their  covers — has  its 
cover. 

17.  The  army  made  its — their  march  through  snow  and 
ice. 

18.  The  whole  class  recited  its — their  lesson  together. 

19.  A  camel's  gait  is  a  peculiar  one ;  they  go — it  goes 
somewhat  like  a  pig  with  the  fore  legs,  and  like  a  cow  with 
the  hind  legs. 

20.  If  anyone  does  not  know  what  to  do,  he — they  should 
ask. 

21.  When  a  person  is  embarrassed,  he — they  often 
blush — blushes. 

22.  Every  teacher  should  carefully  plan  his — their  work. 

23.  Every  book  and  every  paper  was — were  found  in 
its — their  place. 

24.  The  lowest  mechanic,  as  well  as  the  richest  citizen, 
is — are  here  protected  in  his — their  rights. 

25.  Now,  boys,  I  want  every  one  of  you  to  decide  for 
yourself — themselves — himself. 

26.  If  you  blame  either  the  master  or  the  servants,  he — 
they  will  make  excuses. 

27.  Neither  of  them  recited  his — their  lesson. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I3I 

RELATIVE  PRONOUNS 

Relative  pronouns  are  those  that  connect  subordinate 
sentences  to  their  antecedents.  The  relative  pronouns  are 
who,  which,  what,  and  that,  with  their  declined  forms : 

I  saw  John  Smith,  who  was  hurt. 

I  saw  the  man  that  was  hurt. 

The  man  who  was  killed  was  an  Italian. 

He  jests  at  scars  that  never  felt  a  wound. 

DECLENSION 

Nominative  Possessive  Objective 

who  whose  whom 

Which  and  that  are  nominative  and  objective.  They  have 
no  possessive  forms,  though  we  sometimes  find  whose  used 
as  the  possessive  of  which  in  referring  to  things,  in  expressions 
like  :  A  city  whose  streets  are  lined  with  gold.  It  is  generally 
considered  better  usage,  however,  in  such  expressions  to 
use  which  with  the  preposition  of;  as,  A  city,  the  streets 
of  which  are  lined  with  gold. 

Who  refers  to  persons,  and  sometimes  to  animals  of 
extraordinary  intelligence. 

Which  refers  to  things. 

That  refers  to  either  persons  or  things. 

CASE  FORMS 

Be  careful  to  use  the  correct  case  form  of  who. 

A  statement  containing  who  or  whom  is  made  up  of  two 
complete  clauses,  in  one  of  which  (the  subordinate)  the 
relative  serves  as  the  subject  or  object  of  the  verb.  The 
correct  form  of  the  pronoun  is  determined  by  isolating  the 
relative  clause  and  noting  the  use  of  pronouns: 


132  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

He  is  a  man  who — whom  I  believe  can  be  trusted.  (Rel- 
ative clause :  who — whom  can  be  trusted.)  Who  is  correct, 
because  it  is  the  subject  of  can  be  trusted. 

He  is  the  man  who — whom  I  believe  we  can  trust.  (Rel- 
ative clause :  who — whom  we  can  trust.)  The  natural  order 
would  be :  We  can  trust  who — whom.  Whom  is  correct, 
because  it  is  the  object  of  can  trust. 

The  correct  form  of  who  m  a  question  may  be  determined 
by  changing  the  sentence  to  the  form  of  a  statement. 

Question:    Who — whom  did  you  send  for? 
Statement:  You  did  send  for  whom. 

The  preposition  requires  the  objective. 

Question :     Who — whom  did  you  see  at  the  play  ? 
Statement:    You  did  see  whom  at  the  play. 

The  verb  did  see  requires  the  objective. 

Exercise  100 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  I  relied  upon  the  poor  horse  which — who  knew  the 
road  better  than  I. 

2.  The  man  who — whom  I  expected  to  find  is  not  here. 

3.  This  is  a  firm  which — who  does  a  very  extensive 
business. 

4.  Shakespeare  is  an  author  which — who — whom  I  enjoy 
exceedingly. 

5.  I  gave  the  letter  to  the  boy  who — what  brings  the 
the  mail. 

6.  I  spoke  to  the  man  who — whom^  I  thought,  was  the 
principal. 

7.  He  left  his  money  to  those  whom — who,  he  thought, 
had  the  greatest  need. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 33 

8.  Was  it  you  or  the  wind  which — who  closed  the  door? 

9.  It  was  the  largest  audience  which — who — that  I  have 
ever  seen. 

10.  The  young  man  married  a  lady  who — whom,  they  say, 
is  the  daughter  of  an  Italian. 

11.  President  McKinley,  who — whom  the  people  loved 
greatly,  was  assassinated. 

12.  He  did  not  include  among  his  friends  whomsoever — 
whosoever  he  met. 

13.  The   three   statesmen   who — whom — which — that   he 
mentioned  were  famous  Americans. 

14.  We  were  introduced  to    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendrick, 
whom — who  we  thought  to  be  very  interesting  people. 

15.  There  are  many  people  in  the  world  which — who 
never  seem  to  be  satisfied  with  anything. 

16.  Mordecai  was  the  man  whom — who  the  king  delighted 
to  honor. 

17.  Saul  was  the  man  who — whom  the  Israelites  pro- 
claimed king. 

18.  The  infuriated  man  exclaimed,  "I  will  kill  whomso- 
ever— whosoever  approaches  me." 

19.  Let  him  be  whom — who  he  may,  I  will  proceed  to 
carry  out  my  plan. 

20.  I  who  are — am — is  your  friend  will  help  you. 

21.  It  is  for  you  who  was — were  his  teacher. 

22.  Whosoever — whomsoever  the  court  favors  is  safe. 

23.  Who — whom  should  I  meet  the  other  day  but  my 
old  friend. 

24.  Who — whom  did  he  refer  to,  he — him  or  I — me? 

25.  He  which — who  is  idle  and  mischievous  reprove. 

26.  It  was  Joseph,  he — him — who — whom  Pharaoh  pro- 
moted. 

27.  I  referred  to  my  old  friend,  he — him  of  who — whom 
I  often  speak. 


134  ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


INTERROGATIVE  PRONOUNS 

Interrogative  pronouns  are  those  used  in  asking  questions 

Who  art  thou  ? 
Which  do  you  want? 
What  do  you  mean  ? 


ADJECTIVE  PRONOUNS 

Adjective  pronouns  are  those  that  are  usually  used  as 
adjectives : 

You  may  have  this  and  I  will  take  that. 
All  must  pay  the  price. 

From  a  comparison  of  the  following  examples,  it  will  be 
seen  that  an  adjective  becomes  a  pronoun  when  the  noun 
is  omitted,  and  the  adjective  stands  in  its  stead.  The 
distinction  is  not  important  from  a  practical  viewpoint : 

Adjectives  Adjective  Pronouns 

Many  tickets  were  sold.  Many  were  unable  to  se- 

cure seats. 
This  clock  is  sold.  This  is  sold. 

It  is  one  thing  to  be  well- 
informed  :  it  is  another  to  be  wise. 


CASE  FORMS 

Following  are  the  personal  pronouns  classified  as  to  case 
forms.    It  is  very  important  that  these  be  memorized : 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I35 


ative  Forms 

Objective  Forms 

Possessive  Forrr. 

I 

me 

my,  mine 

we 

us 

our,  ours 

you 

you 

your,  yours 

he 

him 

his 

she 

her 

her,  hers 

it 

it 

its 

they 

them 

their,  theirs 

Since  pronouns  have  distinct  forms  for  the  nominative, 
objective,  and  possessive  cases,  care  must  be  exercised  to 
use  the  correct  form. 

Use  the  nominative  as  the  subject  of  a  finite  verb. 

This  instruction  may  seem  "too  simple  to  justify  setting 
down  here.  True,  no  one  would  ever  say,  Him  went  to  town, 
or,  Her  is  a  bright  girl,  but  when  two  or  more  pronouns  are 
used  as  a  subject,  we  frequently  hear,  John  and  him  went  to 
town,  or,  Jennie  and  her  are  both  bright  girls. 

Every  pronoun  used  as  the  subject  must  be  nominative. 


Exercise  101 

1.  Her  sister  and  she — her  are  in  the  same  class. 

2.  You,   Lucy,   and   me — I    are    to    occupy    the    same 
carriage. 

3.  Both  they — them  and  we — us  are  to  blame. 

4.  Him — he  and  / — me  are  about  the  same  age. 

5.  Their  employers,  the  general  public,  and  them — they 
would  be  benefited  if  the  strike  were  ended. 


136  »        Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  102 

Case  after  the  verb  to  he 

The  same  case  follows  the  verb  to  he  as  that  which  precedes 
it ;  this  is  usually  the  nominative  case.  But  when  the  object 
of  a  transitive  verb  precedes  an  infinitive  of  the  verb  to  he, 
the  objective  case  then  follows  the  infinitive. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words: 

1.  If  I  were  him — he,  I'd  be  ashamed  to  look  them  in 
the  face. 

2.  It  wasn't  him — he  who  sent  the  book  to  me. 

3.  It  must  have  been  him — he  instead  of  Charlie. 

4.  I  am  sure  those  people  could  not  have  been  them — 
they  who  called  to  us. 

5.  Perhaps  they  were — it  was  us — we  whom  you  saw. 

6.  I  should  never  have  expected  those  persons  to  be 
they — them, 

7.  Whom — who  does  the  detective  think  it  could  have 
been? 

8.  Who — whom  do  you  take  me  to  be? 

9.  Do  you  suppose  it  was  her — she? 

10.  Is  it  me — /  to  whom  you  wish  to  speak  ? 

11.  If  anyone  is  to  make  the  sacrifice,  it  will  be  me — /. 

12.  I  don't  see  how  they  could  have  been  us — we  whom 
he  referred  to. 

13.  I  suppose  those  men  were  them — they  who  called 
this  afternoon. 

14.  If  you  were  he — him,  would  you  do  as  he  does  ? 

15.  I  thought  it  to  be  she — her,  but  I  was  not  sure. 

16.  Is  that  you,  Frank?    Yes,  it  is  me — I. 

17.  Those  women  are  they — them  who  were  guilty. 

18.  The  evidence  proved  it  to  be  they — them  who  were 
guilty. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 37 

19.  Who — whom  do  men  say  that  I  am? 

20.  I  have  full  information  as  to  who—^whom  he  is. 

21.  I  knew  the  man  to  be  he — him,  the  one  I  saw  yes- 
terday. 

22.  If  I  was  her — were  she,  I  should  learn  to  be  a  ste- 
nographer. 

23.  Do  you  think  the  guilty  person  to  be  me — I? 

24.  They  suppose  the  culprits  to  have  been  we — us. 

25.  Does  the  teacher  think  it  to  have  been  me — I? 

26.  I  took  that  tall  man  to  be  he— him. 

27.  I  knew  that  it  was  him — he. 

28.  I  knew  it  to  be  he — him. 

29.  Who — whom  do  you  suppose  it  was  ? 

30.  I  thought  that  tall  man  was  he — him. 

31.  It  is  not  / — me  who — whom  you  wish  to  see. 


Exercise  103 

OBJECTIVE  CASE  AFTER  TRANSITIVE  VERBS 

Every  pronoun  which  serves  as  the  object  of  a  transitive 
verb  should  be  in  the  objective  case. 

Be  careful  to  use  the  correct  form  of  the  pronoun  when 
it  is  a  member  of  a  compound  element  : 

He  saw  John  and  me.     (Not  John  and  I.) 

In  such  constructions,  the  correct  form  is  at  once  seen 
when  one  member  of  the  compound  element  is  dropped. 
Thus,  one  might  say  (incorrectly),  He  saw  John  and  I, 
but  no  one  would  say,  He  saw  I. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words: 

I.    Let  we- — lis  boys  organize  a  baseball  nine. 


138 

2.  I   mean  Samuel  Johnson^  him — he  that  wrote  the 
dictionary. 

3.  Who — whom  can  I  believe  if  not  she — her? 

4.  Booth    assassinated    Lincoln,    him — he    whom    the 
people  loved. 

5.  They   invited   Fanny   and   I — me  to   come   to   the 
wedding. 

6.  Children  should  love  their  parents,  them — they  who 
do  so  much  for  them. 

7.  At  last  we  saw  the  Filipinos,  them — they  who  cost  us 
so  much. 

8.  Who — whom  do  you  think  that  picture  resembles? 

9.  Will  you  permit  us,  Charlie  and  me — /,  to  go  to  the 
game  today  ? 

10.  Let's  you  and  / — me  get  our  lesson  together. 

11.  They  accused  us  of  the  crime,  us — we  who  knew 
ourselves  so  innocent. 

12.  The  teacher  will  not  allow  you  and  I — me  to  study 
together. 

13.  Our  friends  congratulated  us  both,  7— wg  especially. 

14.  They  expect  all,  we — us  and  they — them,  to  partici- 
pate. 

15.  I  blame  both  you  and  she — her  for  this  negligence. 

16.  Mrs.  Smith  invited  us — we  girls  to  come  over  to 
dinner. 

17.  My  desire  is  to  keep  thou — thee  from  such  misfortune. 

18.  We  supposed  she — her  to  be  the  lady  principal. 

19.  Will  you  let  Fred  and  me— I  have  a  holiday  to- 
morrow? 

20.  Who — whom  did  you  hear  at  the  opera  last  night? 

21.  Whosoever — whomsoever  did  you  expect  to  see,  pray 
tell? 

22.  Whosoever — whomsoever   will,    may    come. 

23.  I  volunteered  to  let  Clara  and  her — she  go  together. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  139 

24.  They — them  who  are  guilty,  he  will  blame. 

25.  Him — he  who  invented  the  telegraph,  I  read  about 
in  the  encyclopedia. 

26.  "Lay  on,  Macduff;    and  damned  be  he — him  that 
first  cries,  'Hold,  enough'!" 

2'j.    You  have  seen  Cassie  and  she — her  together. 

28.  A  lady  entered,  who — whom  I  afterward  found  was 
Miss  B. 

29.  A  lady  entered,  who — whom  I  afterward  found  to 
be  Miss  B. 

30.  He  asked  help  of  men  who — whom  he  knew  could 
not  help  him. 

31.  I  am  supposed  to  be  him — he — who — whom  you  seek. 


Exercise  104 

OBJECTIVE  CASE  AFTER  PREPOSITIONS 

A  pronoun  introduced  by  a  preposition  should  always 
be  in  the  objective  case. 

Be  careful  to  use  correct  form  when  the  pronoun  is  a 
member  of  a  compound  element: 

This  is  for  Harry  and  her,    (Not,  Harry  and  she.) 

Both  these  words  are  used  as  the  object  of  for. 
Write   the   following  sentences,   omitting  the   improper 
italicized  words: 

1.  Between  you  and  / — me,  that  work  was  done  well 
enough  for  anybody. 

2.  The  Savior  gave  his  life  for  you  and  I — me. 

3.  Won't  you  give  some  of  your  candy  to  brother  and 
/ — me. 

4.  Who — whom  were  you  speaking  to  when  I  called? 

5.  Clarence  went  to  the  opera  with  mother  and  / — me. 


140  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

6.  Who — whom  does  the  child  look  like  if  not  his  father  ? 

7.  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  who — whom  that  letter 
came  from. 

8.  I  can  not  give  any  more  permissions  to  you  and  he — 
him. 

9.  The  president  will  grant  the  appointment  to  whoever 
— whomever  he  likes. 

10.  Don't  you  remember  who — whom  you  sent  the  pack- 
age to? 

11.  He  left  an  invitation  for  Jack  and  / — me  to  visit 
him  next  Christmas. 

12.  Students  like  you  and  she — her  ought  to  advance 
rapidly. 

13.  I  told  it  to  all  whom  I  saw,  and  he — him  in  particular. 

14.  There  are  none  of  us  left  now  but  you  and  I — me. 

15.  Do    you    remember    that    handsome    woman    who 
stood  near  he — him  and  George? 

16.  Everybody  has  gone  except  she — her  and  / — me. 

17.  I  was  surprised  to  find  them  both  sitting  next  to 
father  and  / — me. 

18.  There  was  very  little  accomplished  until  you  and 
/ — me  began  the  work. 

19.  There   is  very   little   in   common   between   us   and 
they — them. 

20.  Mother  made  many  sacrifices  for  sister  and  / — me. 

21.  He  said  that  you  and  / — me  might  stay  as  long  as 
we  chose. 

22.  There  should  be  no  distrust  between  a  wife  and  he — 
him  whom  she  takes  for  her  husband. 

23.  Who — whom  were  you  talking  with  when  I  saw  you 
yesterday  ? 

24.  The  presents  are  from  us — we  and  they — them. 

25.  All  but  he — him  had  fled. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I4I 

26.     Those — them   that   study   grammar   talk   no   better 
than  I — me. 

2'j.    We  will  refer  it  to  whoever — whomever  you  may  choose. 

28.  It  remains  for  us — we  and  they — them  to  decide. 

29.  Who — whom  did  he  refer  to,  you  or  I — me? 

30.  Who — whom  were  you  with? 


Exercise  105 

POSSESSIVE  CASE  WITH  VERBAL  NOUNS 

The  word  governing  a  verbal  noun  should  be  in  the 
possessive  case. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  The  reason  of  us — our  going  to  Florida  was  generally 
understood. 

2.  It  was  he — his  having  gone  away  so  suddenly  that 
distressed  her. 

3.  We  all  know  of  Napoleon — Napoleon's  having  been 
defeated  at  Waterloo. 

4.  She  thought  it  was  the  steamer — steamer's  rolling  and 
pitching  that  made  her  seasick. 

5.  Mother  didn't  like  to  think  of  father — father's  being 
there  all  alone. 

6.  Don't  you   remember  us — our  coming   to   see  you 
last  Christmas? 

7.  What    is    your    opinion    of    me — my    becoming    an 
architect  ? 

8.  The  mere  thought  of  them — their  having  to  give  up 
the  old  homestead  was  too  much  for  her. 

9.  The  family  was  greatly  opposed  to  his — him  becom- 
ing an  actor. 


142  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

10.  What  troubled  the  teacher  most  was  the  boy*s — 
boy  lying  to  him. 

11.  I  depend  upon  your — you  keeping  your  promise. 

12.  I  am  surprised  at  its — it  costing  so  much  money. 

13.  What  frightened  her  chiefly  was  the  horse's — horse 
kicking  and  jumping. 

14.  A  man's  success  depends,  to  a  large  extent,  upon 
him — his  keeping  everlastingly  at  work. 

15.  Do  you  approve  of  our — us  going  into  the  grocery 
business  ? 

16.  I  had  expected  to  read  of  you — your  startling  the 
world  with  your  new  discovery. 

17.  I  heard  of  the  king — king's  undergoing  an  operation 
for  appendicitis. 

18.  The  news  of  Lord  Kitchener — Kitchener's  coming 
back  to  London  spread  all  over  England. 

19.  What  do  you  think  of  my — me  turning  over  a  new 
leaf? 

20.  I  must  trust  to  the  reader — reader's  reposing  some 
confidence  in  my  accuracy. 

21.  This  change  may  be  attributed  to  the  domestic 
duck — duck's  flying  less  than  its  wild  parent. 

22.  // — its  being  difiicult  did  not  deter  him. 

23.  He  spoke  of  you — your  studying  Latin. 

24.  I  am  opposed  to  the  gentleman — gentleman's  speaking 
again. 

25.  What  need  is  there  of  a  man — man's  swearing? 

NOTE. — ^The  distinction  between  a  verbal  noun  and  a 
participle  used  as  an  adjective  should  be  observed.  The 
noun  or  pronoun  preceding  the  participle  used  as  an  ad- 
jective is  not  possessive. 


ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I43 

Compare  the  following  sentences : 

There  is  no  harm  in  the  children's  playing  in  the  street. 
There  is  no  harm  in  the  children  playing  in  the  street. 
The  boy's  rocking  the  boat  caused  the  accident. 
The  boy  rocking  the  boat  caused  the  accident. 


Exercise  106 

POSSESSIVE  PRONOUNS 

Pronouns  in  the  possessive  case  do  not  take  the  apostrophe. 
When  it's  stands  for  it  is,  the  apostrophe  is  used  to  mark 
the  ellipsis  of  the  i. 

Write  the  following  sentences,  omitting  the  improper 
italicized  words : 

1.  Greece  is  a  wonderful  country,  and  it's — its  history 
reads  like  a  romance. 

2.  Tomorrow    I    will    return    those   books   of  yours — 
your's  which  I  borrowed  recently. 

3.  Its — it's  a  long  journey  which  we  have  before  us. 

4.  The  palmy  days  of  Rome  are  past,  but  ours — our's 
are  yet  to  come. 

5.  I  remain,  yours — your's  truly,  Charles  Dickens. 

6.  Its — it's  a  pity  that  the  poor  dog  has  lost  its — it's 
leg. 

7.  The  Filipinos  do  not  like  our  soldiers,  and  we  do 
not  like  their's — theirs. 

8.  His  writing  is  bad  enough,  but  its — it's  much  better 
than  her's — hers, 

9.  This  is  a  later  edition  than  your^s — yours. 

10.     Our's — ours  is  much  larger  than  theirs — their' s. 


144  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  107 

Write   the   following   sentences,   omitting   the   improper 
italicized  words: 

1.  John  and  she — her  wrote  the  letter. 

2.  They — them  and  their  friends  have  been  here. 

3.  Give  the  money  to  us — we  boys. 

4.  We — us  girls  will  be  there. 

5.  This  is  between  you  and  / — me. 

6.  This  is  for  you  and  me — I. 

7.  Do  you  suppose  it  is  they — them? 

8.  Do  yo.u  suppose  it  to  be  they — them? 

9.  I  know  that  it  was  she — her. 

10.  I  know  it  to  have  been  her — she. 

1 1 .  Who — whom  should  I  meet  but  my  old  friend  ! 

12.  / — me  being  ill,  she  taught  my  classes. 

13.  He — him  being  absent,  the  meeting  was  postponed. 

14.  Who — whom  did  you  send  for? 

15.  Whom — who  was  the  letter  from  ? 

16.  Please  hand  the  letter  to  Mr.  Smith,  he — him  who — 
whom  we  saw  last  evening. 

17.  Whom — who  do  men  say  that  I  am? 

18.  Who — whom  do  men  think  me  to  be? 

19.  If  I  were  she — her,  I  would  go. 

20.  Is  that  she — her  standing  in  the  entrance?     Yes, 
that  is  she — her. 

21.  It  is  not  me — I  that  you  wish  to  see. 

22.  It  can  not  be  him — he. 

23.  There  is  no  danger  of  his — him  being  elected. 

24.  John  and  he — him  are  to  be  the  speakers. 

25.  We  were  thought  to  be  them — they. 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  145 

Exercise  108 

Write    the   following   sentences,    omitting   the   improper 
italicized  words : 

Its  being  he — him  should  make  no  difference. 

I  believed  you  to  be  she — her. 

I  saw  the  man  who — whom  they  said  had  been  elected. 

We  believed  you  to  be  she — her. 

It  is  not  he — him  but  / — me  who — whom  he  seeks. 

Who — whom  are  you  writing  to? 

Them — they  that  honor  me  I  will  honor. 

They — them  that  believe  in  me  shall  be  rewarded. 

I  am  not  so  good  a  writer  as  he — him. 

They  write  as  well  as  we — us. 

Who — whom  did  you  see  at  the  meeting? 

Please  let  him — he  and  / — me  write  on  the  board. 

The  man  who — whom  we  saw  is  president. 

He — him  that  is  guilty,  we  must  punish. 

He  was  a  person  who — whom  could  be  depended 


9- 

10. 

II, 

12. 

13- 
14- 
15" 
upon. 
i6. 

17. 

i8. 
19. 
20. 
to? 

21.  So  long  as  we — us  Japanese  exist  as  a  part  of  the 
Creator's  creation,  we  have  the  sense  of  feeling  requisite 
to  human  beings. 

22.  These  ever-changeless  headlines  in  the  newspapers 
must  be  quite  as  tiresome  to  sane  Americans  as  they  are  to 
us — we  Japanese. 

23.  They — them  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed. 


If  it  had  been  me — I,  I  should  have  run. 

Let  him — he  who — whom  made  thee  answer  this. 

I  was  sure  of  its  being  he — him. 

I  saw  the  man  who — whom  the  property  belonged  to. 

Did  you  find  out  who — whom  the  property  belonged 


146  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

24.  Who — whom    the    gods    would    destroy    they    first 
make  mad. 

25,  The  minister  gave  his  services  to  those  who — whom 
he  thought  needed  them  most. 


Exercise  109 

Tell  which  of  the  italicized  words  are  correct,  and  why : 

1.  It  is  me — 7,  be  not  afraid. 

2.  Her  brother  is  taller  than  she — her, 

3.  All  of  us — we  girls  had  a  good  time. 

4.  He  said  that  he  would  invite  you  and  me — I. 

5.  They — them  that  honor  me,  I  will  honor. 

6.  I  know  him — he  to  be  the  man. 

7.  If  I  were  she — her,  I  would  not  go. 

8.  I  believe  it  to  be  she — her. 

9.  He  said  that  he  would  invite  her  and  me — I. 

10.  It  was  not  them — they. 

11.  Who — whom  did  she  ask  for? 

12.  She  said  that  she  would  write  to  you  and  me — I. 

13.  It  was  not  me — I;  it  was  either  you  or  he — him. 

14.  It  may  have  been  us — we  who — whom  you  saw. 

15.  Is  this  for  James  and  me — J,  or  for  Ellen  and  me — I? 

16.  Let  James  and  I — me  go  too. 

17.  I  was  surprised  at  it — its  being  he — him. 

18.  Everyone  has  gone  to  the  lake  but  you  and  me — /. 

19.  If  I  were  him — he,  I  should  not  do  so. 

20.  They  said  for  you  and  I — me  to  come  soon. 

21.  Boys  like  you  and  me — /  are  expected  to  do  what  is 
right  without  being  told. 

22.  I  gave  the  watch  to  the  man  who — whom  I  thought 
was  the  owner. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I47 

23.  I  gave  the  watch  to  the  man  who — whom  I  took  to 
be  the  owner. 

24.  He  left  an  invitation  for  Jack  and  / — me  to  visit 
him  next  Christmas. 

25.  It  was  she — her  who  told  it,  not  me — I, 

26.  They  lost  no  more  than  we — us. 

27.  Students  like  you  and  she — her  ought  to  advance 
rapidly. 

28.  You  know  who — whom  I  thought  it  was. 

29.  You  know  who — whom  I  thought  it  to  be. 

30.  There  are  none  of  us  left  now  but  you  and  / — me. 

31.  I  thought  that  her  brother  and  she — her  were  going 
with  us. 

32.  You  may  send  whoever — whomsoever  you  wish. 


Exercise  110 

Tell  which  of  the  italicized  words  is  correct,  and  why: 

1.  Everybody  has  gone  except  she — her  and  I — me. 

2.  They  invited  we — us  boys  to  go  with  them. 

3.  I  heard  of  his — him  going  away. 

4.  There   is  very   little  in  common  between  us  and 
they — them. 

5.  There  was  no  one  at  home  but  mother  and  me — I. 

6.  John's  parents  oppose  him — his  quitting  school. 

7.  I  am  sure  these  books  were  intended  for  you  and  / 
— me. 

8.  How  can  I  tell  who — whom  to  trust? 

9.  Between  and  you  and  I — mc,  this  is  none  of  his 
business. 

ID.    They  invited  Fanny  and  / — me  to  the  wedding. 

11.  Who — whom  do  you  think  will  be  nominated  ? 

12.  Who — Ti^/iom  do  you  think  they  will  elect  ? 


148  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

13.  Will  you  permit  us,  Charlie  and  me — 7,  to  go  to 
the  game  tomorrow? 

14.  In  fact,  I  know  it  to  be  he — him. 

15.  I  know  who — whom  I  serve. 

16.  You  and  / — me  were  walking  together. 

17.  Neither  you  nor  him — he  is  in  his — their  place. 

18.  Father  left  his  money  to  Mary  and  me — /. 

19.  Who — whom  did  he  refer  to,  he — him  or  I — me? 

20.  It  was  him — he  whom — who  I  meant. 

21.  Do  you  believe  it  is  they — them?  ■ 

22.  I  thought  it  to  be  he — him,  but  I  am  not  sure. 

23.  We  were  betrayed  by  those  who — whom  we  thought 
we  could  trust  implicitly. 

24.  It  appears  to  be  him — he. 

25.  Do  you  think  the  guilty  person  to  be  / — me? 

26.  I  have  information  as  to  who — whom  he  is. 

27.  We  recommend  only  those  who — whom  we  think 
can  pass  the  examination,  and  who — whom  we  know  will 
do  their  work  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 

28.  He  is  a  man  who — whom  I  know  to  be  honest. 

29.  The  evidence  proved  it  to  be  they — them  who  were 
guilty. 

30.  Who — whom  do  men  say  that  I  am  ? 

31.  I  did  not  know  who — whom  to  trust. 

32.  How  can  we  tell  who — whom  to  trust? 

33.  Do  you  know  who — whom  you  can  get  to  do  the 
work? 

INTERJECTIONS 

An  interjection  is  an  exclamation,  expressive  of  feeling. 
It  has  no  dependence  upon  other  words,  and  so  is  not  in 
the  same  sense  with  the  rest  a  part  of  speech : 

Fie!    how  angry  he  is! 


koss^s  BtrsiNEss  English  I49 


Exercise  111 

GENERAL  REVIEW 

Correct  such  of  the  following  sentences  as  are  incorrect. 
Give  reasons : 

1.  I  have  a  red,  white,  and  blue  flag.     (Three  flags.) 

2.  The  book  was  read  by  the  old  and  young. 

3.  Him  and  me  like  to  study  grammar. 

4.  He  is  older  than  me. 

5.  I  am  going  to  visit  my  friends,  them  that  live  in 
town. 

6.  He  prayed  for  his  enemies,  they  whom  he  had  reason 
to  curse. 

7.  The  boys  story  was  believed. 

8.  David    and    Jonathans    friendship    was    marvelous. 

9.  Albert  and  Marys  shoes  were  lost  in  the  fire. 

10.  I  will  meet  you  at  Brown,  the  assayers  office. 

11.  The  privilege  is  not  theirs  any  more  than  it  is  ours. 

12.  The    British    Parliament    are    composed    of    king, 
lords,  and  commons. 

13.  The  flock  was  scattered. 

14.  A  mans'  manners  frequently  influence  his  fortune. 

15.  Pupils  should  be  polite  to  each  other. 

16.  Cain  was  the  oldest  of  the  two. 

17.  Jupiter  is  the  largest  of  all  the  other  planets. 

18.  Have  you  been  sick?     You  look  bad. 

19.  How  in  the  world  can  you  write  so  rapid  ? 

20.  A  more  wiser  man  than  Solomon  never  lived. 

21.  We  didn't  find  nobody  to  home. 

22.  Those  sort  of  fountain  pens  work  good. 

23.  Eve  was  the  fairest  of  all  her  daughters. 

24.  Let  everybody  attend  to  their  own  business. 


150  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

25.  Either  of  three  roads  leads  to  the  city. 

26.  Repeat  the  first  four  Hnes  in  concert. 

27.  The  child  has  a  ravenous  appetite  which  we  have 
just  seen. 

28.  The  friend  has  gone  to  the  city  that  has  been  visiting 
us. 

29.  Every  plant  and  tree  produces  after  their  kind. 

30.  Each  of  the  senses  should  be  kept  within  their  proper 
bounds. 

31.  Neither  wealth  or  talent  have  power  to  save  their 
possessor. 

32.  The  propriety  of  such  methods  were  evident. 

33.  In  piety  and  virtue  consist  the  happiness  of  man. 

34.  To  rise  and  retire  early  are  good  for  one's  health. 

35.  No  slave,   no  master,   now  exists  in  our  country. 

36.  Ambition,  and  not  the  safety  of  the  people,  were 
concerned. 

37.  Not  her  beauty,  but  her  talents,  attracts  attention. 

38.  The  general,  with  all  his  army,  were  captured. 

39.  The  mill,  with  all  it's  appurtenances,  were  destroyed. 

40.  Either  you  or  I  are  mistaken. 

41.  He  advised  me  to  not  go. 

42.  I  have  never  cheated  any  man,  and  I  never  intend 
to. 

43.  We  intended  to  have  shipped  your  goods  yesterday. 

44.  I   have  went  over  this  work  many  times,  and  its 
not  perfect  yet. 

45.  He  talks  as  his  brother  does,  but  he  walks  like  his 
father. 

46.  She  always  looks  beautifully,  but  she  never  does 
her  work  neat. 

47.  I  will  divide  my  candy  between  Flora  and  Emma; 
my  marbles  between  Lee,  Wilford,  and  Budd. 

48.  As  soon  as  he  arrived  he  went  in  the  house. 


ROSSES   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I5I 

49.  He  went  to  the  city  accompanied  with  his  sister. 

50.  He  died  from  cholera. 

51.  Neither  the  father  nor  the  son  were  here. 

52.  Between  you  and  I  there  is  no  ill  feeling. 

53.  They  taught  that  bodies  were  composed  of  salt. 

54.  I  am  older  than  him,  but  he  is  heavier  than  me. 

55.  Neither  Ella  or  Anna  were  at  home. 

56.  There  should  be  no  quarreling  among  we  four. 

57.  The  confusion  was  caused  by  the  manager  changing 
his  plans. 

58.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  treasurer  to  take  care  of 
all  the  monies  and  funds  of  the  society. 

59.  The  removing  of  the  drowned  babies  from  the  steamer 
was  a  heart  rending  scene. 

60.  Them  books  are  all  mine. 

61.  The  three  last  chapters  of  the  book  are  the  most 
interesting. 

62.  We  have  just  bought  two  tons  of  coal  and  a  green 
load  of  wood. 

63.  A  humble  heart  shall  find  favor. 

64.  He  was  to  frightened  to  tell  what  he  had  saw. 

65.  I  was  that  tired  that  I  couldn't  work  no  longer. 

66.  Was  it  a  man  or  a  woman's  voice  that  we  heard. 

67.  You  will  not  find  him  to  home  this  morning,  I  don't 
think. 

68.  Who  was  Cortez  sent  out  by? 

69.  We  can't  wait  no  longer  for  them  boys. 

70.  Was  it  her  that  was  talking  so  loud  in  the  next 
room? 

71.  He  can  write  as  good  as  the  teacher. 

•     72.     He  acted  very  independent  about  the  matter. 

73.  She  seemed  real  glad  to  see  us. 

74.  I  have  only  received  one  letter  from  Jennie  and  she 
since  they  left. 


152  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

75.  The  judge  sentenced  him  to  jail  for  disorderly  con- 
duct ten  days. 

76.  I  can  neither  find  him  nor  his  brother. 

77.  She  felt  the  need  for  someone  to  advise  her. 

78.  We  divided  the  apples  between  the  five  children. 

79.  Where  have  you  been  at? 

80.  Why  don't  you  do  Hke  I  do? 

81.  One  can't  expect  to  learn  grammar  without  he 
studies  it  diligently. 

82.  My  brother  is  not  quite  as  tall  as  me. 

83.  Neither  the  chairman  or  the  secretary  would  give 
their  consent. 

84.  It  must  have  been  him  which  you  seen,  not  me. 

85.  Who  do  you  think  she  took  Nellie  and  I  to  be? 

86.  All  the  girls  had  gone  except  Grace  and  I. 

87.  It  was  him  refusing  to  try  that  irritated  me. 

88.  A  dog  and  a  cats'  head  are  differently  shaped. 

89.  He  wouldn't  go  without  we  did. 

90.  I  believe  our  rooms  are  more  pleasant  than  their's. 

91.  He  was  seated  at  the  table  with  a  glass  of  ale  on 
both  sides  of  him. 

92.  He  must  have  wanted  to  see  them  very  much. 

93.  If  I  was  to  remove  this  weight  what  would  happen. 

94.  I  don't  think  he  acted  quite  fair  to  his  brother-in- 
laws. 

95.  For  sale,  a  dictionary  and  atlas,  both  nearly  new. 

96.  I  am  afraid  that  the  poor  boy  don't  know  no  better. 

97.  With  this  machine  you  can  make  two  hundred 
copies  of  anything  that  can  be  written  on  a  page  of  note 
paper  in  five  minutes. 

98.  But  for  you  and  I  he  would  have  drownded. 

99.  Much  depends  on  the  teacher  correcting  the  papers. 
100.     Much  depends  on  the  teacher's  correcting  the  papers. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 53 


CAPITALIZATION 

Begin  with  a  capital  letter: 

1 .  The  first  word  of  every  sentence,  and  the  first  word  in 
every  line  of  poetry : 

I  chatter,  chatter  as  I  flow 

To  join  the  brimming  river. 
For  men  may  come  and  men  may  go, 

But  I  go  on  forever. 

2.  All  proper  names  and  all  proper  adjectives : 

Germany  and  Austria  declared  war  on  several  other 
European  countries. 

The  Spanish  Inquisition  was  one  of  the  great  events  in 
history. 

3.  When  a  common  noun  is  particularized  by  being 
joined  to  a  proper  name,  both  words  are  usually  begun 
with  a  capital ;  as,  the  Ohio  River,  Atlantic  Ocean,  McLure 
Hotel. 

4.  All  names  and  titles  of  the  Deity  and  all  nouns  re- 
ferring to  holy  things : 

Our  Father,  who  art  in  Heaven.  O  Lord,  how  excellent 
is  Thy  name  in  all  the  earth. 

5.  The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  the  months 
of  the  year.  The  names  of  the  seasons  are  not  capitalized 
unless  personified : 

The  goods  will  go  forward  on  Wednesday,  October  first. 
School  will  be  closed  on  Labor  Day, 


154  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

6.  The  pronoun  I  and  the  interjection  O : 
O,  that  I  were  a  glove  upon  that  hand! 

7.  The  principal  words  in  titles  of  books,  subjects  and 
headings : 

He  has  written  a  book  under  the  title,  "Accumulative 
Exercises  in  Typewriting." 

8.  Nouns  which  are  personified : 

A  youth  to  Fortune  and  to  Fame  unknown. 
He  gave  to  Misery  all  he  had,  a  tear. 

.  9.     The  words  north,  east,  south,  and  west,  only  when 
used  as  the  name  of  a  section  of  country,  or  a  people : 

The  North  and  the  South  are  now  united. 
Ohio  is  east  of  Indiana. 

ID.  The  first  word  of  a  long  quotation,  or  one  formally 
introduced : 

We  wired  you  today  as  follows :  "Ship  Smith's  order  from 
Omaha.    Wire  when  ready." 

11.  All  titles  of  rank  and  office,  when  they  are  joined 
to  names  of  persons ;  also  when  not  so  joined  if  they  refer 
directly  to  persons: 

I  have  just  read  President  Wilson's  ultimatum  to  Mexico. 

A  bill  was  introduced  by  Senator  Watson. 

Long  live  the  King,  say  I;    yet  a  king  is  only  a  man. 

12.  Names  of  all  items  in  bills  and  orders : 

1  Chiffonier 

2  Morris  Chairs 
I  Lawn  Mower 

25  lbs.  Sugar 


t 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  I55 

13.  The  principal  words  when  sums  of  money  are  written 
in  words : 

One  year  after  date  I  promise  to  pay  to  Samuel  Brown 
Four  Hundred  and  Sixty-Three  Dollars. 

14.  The   first  word   in   the   complimentary'   close   of   a 
letter ;  as,  Yours  truly,  Respectfully,  Sincerely  yours. 

15.  The  first  word  and  all  nouns  in  the  salutation  of  a 
letter ;    as,  Dear  Sir,  My  dear  Sir,  My  dear  Friend  Jones. 


Exercise 

Rewrite,  supplying  capital  letters : 

1.  no  man  ever  sailed  over  exactly  the  same  route  that 
another  sailed  before  him.  every  man  who  starts  on  the 
ocean  of  life  arches  his  sails  to  an  untried  breeze. — william 
mathews. 

2.  full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen  and  waste 
its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air. — gray. 

3.  and  let  each  heart  and  voice  proclaim  the  goodness 
of  their  god. 

4.  a  pronoun  having  two  or  more  antecedents  connected 
by  and  must  agree  with  them  in  the  plural  number;  as, 
milton  and  shakespeare  have  expressions  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. 

5.  english  literature  is  no  common  debtor  of  the  bible. 

6.  the  style  of  bunyan  is  delightful  to  every  reader. 

7.  two  mighty  vortices,  pericles  and  alexander  the  great, 
drew  into  strong  eddies  about  themselves  all  the  glory  and 
the  pomp  of  greek  literature,  greek  eloquence,  greek  wisdom, 
greek  art. — 4e  quincey. 

8.  authors  must  not,  like  Chinese  soldiers,  expect  to  win 
victories  by  turning  somersets  in  the  air. — longfellow. 


156  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

9.  life  mocks  the  idle  hate  of  her  archenemy,  death. 

10.  though  truth  is  fearless,  yet  she  is  meek  and  modest. 

1 1 .  please  ship  by  fast  freight  the  following  goods : 

25  brls.  gold  medal  flour 
10  cases  arbuckle's  coffee 
50  bags  granulated  sugar 

12.  the  internal  revenue  officers  crossed  the  ohio  river 
from  wheeling,  ohio  county,  west  Virginia,  and  surprised  a 
group  of  law-breakers  in  bellaire,  belmont  county,  ohio. 

13.  we  have  received  the  following  message  from  our 
head  office  :  "accept  order,  indiana  party  considered  good, 
will  arrange  with  them." 

14.  the  old  saying,  "fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to 
tread,"  contains  a  deal  of  truth. 

15.  my  dear  friend  : 

well  did  irving  say,  "sorrow  for  the  dead  is  the  only  sorrow 
from  which  we  refuse  to  be  divorced."  but  i  do  bid  you,  my 
dear  friend,  let  more  cheering  thoughts  come  in  and  occupy 
your  heart,  and  crowd  out  the  bitter  remembrance  of  your 
bereavement,  god  saddens  the  heart  to  make  it  better  for 
his  great  purpose. 

Yours  in  deepest  sympathy, 

minnie  j.  furnam 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I57 


PUNCTUATION 


FIRST    LESSON 


THE  PERIOD 

The  period  is  used : 

1.  At  the  end  of  imperative  and  declarative  sentences. 

2.  After  abbreviations ;    as,  Dr.,  Cr.,  inst. 

3.  Between  dollars  and  cents  expressed  in  figures;    as, 

fo.75.  ■ 

4.  After  initials ;  as,  J.  R.  Gregg,  C.  O.  Smith. 


Exercise  1 

Rewrite  the  following,  inserting  periods  in  their  respective 
places,  and  substituting  capitals  for  small  letters  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sentences.    All  other  marks  are  inserted  : 

Gentlemen : 

The  enclosed  is  a  sheet  of  "Tintslope"  penmanship  paper, 
which  we  are  placing  on  the  market  at  $125  per  ream  of 
500  sheets  the  teacher  tells  the  pupils  to  write  at  58  or  60 
degrees  slant,  but  they  have  practically  no  conception 
of  its  meaning  this  paper  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  stu- 
dents in  enabling  them  to  secure  the  correct  slant  without 
going  through  the  ordeal  of  practicing  for  many  months, 
during  which  time  they  have  used  all  the  slants  from  40 


158  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

to  80  degrees  the  lines  should  serve  only  for  criticism  after 
the  execution  let  us  hear  from  you  with  a  good  order. 

Respectfully  yours, 

Tintslope  Paper  Co, 

Perth  Amboy,  N  J 

Dear  Sir: 

If  the  consignee  is  unknown  and  you  have  notified  him 
by  postal  that  the  package  is  on  hand  and  no  reply  has 
been  received,  please  hold  papers  for  ten  days  if  your  ef- 
forts to  effect  delivery  are  then  still  unsuccessful,  please 
return  the  correspondence  to  me  and  I  shall  obtain  orders 
for  disposition  from  the  superintendent  here  is  another 
bill  from  the  O  L  Print  people,  which  has  been  held  up  on 
account  of  difference  in  rates  on  shipment  to  Chicago,  they 
being  billed  at  the  rate  of  fifty-six  cents,  when,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  they  hold  a  list  quoting  rate  of  twenty-five  cents 
will  you  collect  this  bill  less  the  difference 

Yours  respectfully, 

Tintslope  Paper  Co 


SECOND   LESSON 


THE  INTERROGATION 

The  interrogation  point  is  used : 

1 .  After  a  direct  question  ;  as,  How  many  exercises  are 
in  your  book? 

2.  After  a  question,  or  questions,  within  a  sentence 
that  is  a  statement  or  a  command  ;  as.  He  looked  up  quickly 
and  said  :     "What  can  I  do  for  you,  young  man?" 

3.  In  a  series  after  the  individual  members,  each  one  of 


ftOSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I59 

which  might  be  expanded  into  a  complete  sentence;    as, 
What  is  the  capital  of  Georgia?    of  Alabama?   of  Maine? 

4.  Enclosed  in  parentheses  in  a  sentence  to  indicate 
that  a  statement  is  used  in  a  questionable  manner;  as,  I 
have  just  heard  from  your  friend(?)  Anderson. 

NOTE. — Usually,  the  interrogation  is  equivalent  to  a 
period  and  is  therefore  followed  by  a  capital,  but  not  always. 
Sometimes  the  interrogative  clause  occurs  in  the  middle  of 
a  sentence;  as,  To  determine  the  object  of  a  verb,  ask, 
Whom?    or  What?    after  the  verb. 

Sometimes  the  sentence  is  composed  of  a  series  of  ques- 
tions ;  as,  Can  your  property  be  exchanged  for  Lake  Forest 
acres?  or  can  it  be  exchanged  at  all?  See  also  example 
under  Rule  3  above. 

In  both  these  constructions  the  interrogation  is  equivalent 
to  a  comma  or  semicolon,  and  should  be  followed  by  a  small 
letter. 

The  interrogation  point  should  not  be  used  after  an  in- 
direct question  ;  that  is,  one  that  does  not  require  an  answer ; 
as.  He  asked  me  if  I  would  attend  to  the  matter  tomorrow. 
I  asked  him  if  he  intended  to  continue  doing  business  in 
this  way. 

The  difference  between  a  question  and  a  request  should 
be  observed.  A  request  is  followed  by  a  period ;  as.  Will 
you  kindly  fill  the  following  order  and  ship  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment. 

Exercise  2 

Insert  the  periods  and  interrogation  points  in  the  following : 

I .  The  chief  aim  of  punctuation  is  to  unfold  the  meaning 
of  sentences  with  the  least  trouble  to  the  reader  it  aids  the 


160  kOSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

delivery  only  in  so  far  as  it  tends  to  bring  out  the  sense  of 
the  writer  to  the  best  advantage — Wilson 

2.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  when  studying  punctua- 
tion to  stray  unwittingly  into  the  realm  of  composition,  for 
good  punctuation  presupposes  good  composition  one  writer 
says,  "It  is  vain  to  propose,  by  arbitrary  punctuation,  to 
mend  the  defects  of  a  sentence,  to  correct  its  ambiguity, 
or  to  prevent  its  confusion"  nevertheless,  an  intelligent  use 
of  punctuation  marks  will  often  help  to  unlock  the  im- 
prisoned thought  in  involved  or  poorly-constructed  sentences 
— J.  Clifford  Kennedy 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  potential  mode 
and  the  indicative  what  auxiliaries  are  used  with  the  poten- 
tial 

4.  Referring  to  your  letter  of  yesterday,  I  wish  to  say 
I  entirely  disagree  with  you  in  the  first  place,  the  prices  we 
are  getting  for  flour  are  inconsistent  with  the  high  cost  of 
wheat  what  objection  can  there  be  to  our  agreeing  upon  a 
price  that  will  protect  us  against  actual  loss 

5.  What  is  a  nominative  absolute  is  this  form  desirable 
why  is  it  sometimes  used 

6.  I  think  it  is  proper,  don't  you  that  some  action  should 
be    taken 

7.  The  purpose  of  the  paragraph  is  to  aid  the  reader  to 
comprehend  the  thought  to  be  expressed  the  paragraph 
groups  in  a  logical  way  the  different  ideas  to  the  communi- 
cation it  gives  rest  to  the  eye  of  the  reader,  and  makes 
clearer  the  fact  that  there  is  a  change  of  topic  at  each  new 
paragraph — Thomas  Wood 

8.  I  might  mention  all  the  divine  charms  of  a  bright 
spring  day,  but  if  you  had  never  in  your  life  utterly  for- 
gotten yourself  in  straining  your  eyes  after  the  mounting 
lark,  or  in  wandering  through  the  still  lanes  when  the  fresh- 
opened  blossoms  fill  them  with  a  sacred,  silent  beauty  like 


ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  l6l 

that  of  fretted  aisles,  where  would  be  the  use  of  my  descrip- 
tive catalogue  I  could  never  make  you  know  what  I  meant 
by  a  bright  spring  day — George  Eliot 

9.  A  man  should  learn  to  detect  and  watch  that  gleam 
of  light  which  flashes  across  his  mind  from  within,  more 
than  the  luster  of  the  firmament  of  bards  and  sages  yet  he 
dismisses  without  notice  his  thought,  because  it  is  his  in 
every  work  of  genius  we  recognize  our  own  rejected  thoughts  ; 
they  come  back  to  us  with  a  certain  alienated  majesty 
great  works  of  art  have  no  more  affecting  lesson  than  this 
— Emerson 

10.  Why  should  there  not  be  a  patient  confidence  in  the 
ultimate  justice  of  the  people  is  there  a  better  or  equal  hope 
in  the  world  in  our  present  differences,  is  either  party  with- 
out faith  of  being  in  the  right  if  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  Na- 
tions, with  his  eternal  truth  and  justice,  be  on  your  side  of 
the  North,  or  on  yours  of  the  South,  that  truth  and  that  jus- 
tice will  surely  prevail  by  the  judgment  of  this  great  tribunal 
of  the  American  people — Lincoln's  first  inaugural  address 


THIRD   LESSON 


THE  EXCLAMATION 

The  exclamation  point  is  used  after  a  word,  clause,  or 
sentence  indicating  surprise,  emotion,  etc. : 

Alas!    It  is  too  late. 

A  Daniel  is  come  to  judgment! 

Oh,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you ! 

The  exclamatory  sentence  is  often  similar  in  form  to  the 
interrogatory  sentence.    If  it  is  obvious  that  the  interroga- 


16^ 


tory  form  is  used  for  emphasis,  and  that  no  answer  is  ex- 
pected, the  exclamation  point  should  be  used : 

Oh,  where  can  rest  be  found ! 


Exercise  3 

Insert  periods,  interrogation  points,  and  exclamation 
points  in  the  following : 

1.  Help  help  will  no  one  try  to  rescue  him 

2.  Fire  if  you  dare 

3.  Oh,  that  is  what  you  meant,  is  it 

4.  Magnificent  autumn  he  comes  like  a  warrior,  with 
the  stain  of  blood  upon  his  brazen  mail  his  crimson  scarf 
is  rent  his  scarlet  banner  drips  with  gore  his  step  is  like 
a  flail  upon  the  threshing-floor — Longfellow 

5.  In  human  life  there  is  constant  change  of  fortune,  and 
it  is  unreasonable  to  expect  an  exemption  from  the  common 
fate  life  itself  decays,  and  all  things  are  daily  changing — 
Plutarch 

6.  And  why  take  ye  thought  for  raiment  consider  the 
lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow  ;  they  toil  not ;  neither  do 
they  spin — Bible 

7.  "Foolish  spending  is  the  father  of  poverty  do  not 
be  ashamed  of  hard  work  work  for  the  best  salary  or  wages 
you  can  get,  but  work  for  half  price  rather  than  be  idle  be 
your  own  master,  and  do  not  let  society  or  fashion  swallow 
up  your  individuality — hat,  coat,  and  boots  do  not  eat  up 
nor  wear  up  all  you  can  earn  compel  your  selfish  body  to 
spare  something  for  profit  saved  be  stingy  to  your  own 
appetite,  but  merciful  to  others'  necessities  help  others,  and 
ask  no  help  yourself  see  that  you  are  proud  let  your  pride 
be  of  the  right  kind." 


ROSSES   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 63 

8.  Application  is  the  price  to  be  paid  for  mental  acqui- 
sition to  have  the  harvest  we  must  sow  the  seed — Bailey 

9.  Again,  could  anything  be  more  miraculous  than  an 
actual  ghost  the  English  Johnson  longed,  all  his  life,  to  see 
one ;  but  could  not,  though  he  went  to  Cock  Lane,  and 
thence  to  the  churchvaults,  and  tapped  on  coffins  foolish 
doctor  did  he  never,  with  the  mind's  eye  as  well  as  with  the 
body's  look  around  him  into  that  full  tide  of  human  life  he 
so  loved  did  he  never  so  much  as  look  into  himself — Thomas 
Carlyle 

10.  Dear  Sir : 

You  will  observe  that  we  have  taken  this  matter  up  further 
with  Agent  Simms,  who  claims  that  O'Connell's  attention 
was  never  called  to  the  shortage  on  this  shipment  have  you 
any  further  proof  to  substantiate  your  claim  that  the  short- 
age was  reported  to  O'Connell  if  so,  we  think  it  would  be 
well  to  get  the  men  together  as  soon  as  possible  at  the  South 
Station  and  then  to  reply  to  me  regarding  the  result  of  such 
action. 

FOURTH   LESSON 


THE  COLON 

The  colon  is  used  : 

1 .  After  the  salutation  of  a  letter ;  as.  Dear  Sir :  Gentle- 
men: 

2.  Between  hours  and  minutes  when  expressed  in  figures  ; 
as,  10  130  a.  m.,     2  45  p.  m. 

NOTE. — ^Where  one  knows  that  all  figures  have  reference 
to  time,  as  on  a  timetable,  the  use  of  the  period  in  this 
connection  is  justifiable. 

3.  When  a  series  of  expressions  is  introduced  by  some 


l64  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

such   word   or  words ;    as,   thus,   the  following,  as  follows, 
these,  etc. : 

The  course  consists  of  the  following  subjects :  Shorthand, 
Typewriting,  English,  Spelling,  and  Penmanship. 

The  orator  began  his  address  thus :  "My  friends,  I  have 
no  personal  interest  in  this  matter." 

NOTE. — ^The  colon  should  be  likewise  used  when  the 
introductory  expression  {as  follows,  etc.)  is  clearly  under- 
stood, though  not  expressed : 

By  making  the  experiment  one  can  easily  learn  two 
things :  one,  how  much  useful  knowledge,  etc. 

4.  After  a  formal  introduction  to  a  long  quotation : 

Daniel  Webster,  in  his  Bunker  Hill  Monument  oration, 
says :  "We  do  not  even  read  of  the  discovery  of  this  conti- 
nent without  feeling  something  of  a  personal  interest  in 
the  event ;  without  being  reminded  how  much  it  has  af- 
fected our  own  fortunes  and  our  own  existence." 

5.  To  separate  the  members  of  a  compound  sentence 
when  either  or  both  the  members  are  punctuated  with 
semicolons : 

Him  that  is  wise,  observe;  him  that  is  good,  copy:  so 
shall  thy  life  be  both  wise  and  good ;  and  thou  shalt  be 
blest  and  happy. 

Exercise  4 

Insert  colons  in  the  following.  All  other  marks  are  in- 
serted : 

1.  My  dear  Sir  I  regret  very  much  to  say  in  reply  to 
your  letter,  etc. 

2.  Gentlemen  We  can  quote  you  the  following  prices 
No.  2,  $1.00 ;  fair  to  medium,  90  cts. ;  No.  3  dull  at  80  cts. 


ROSS's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  165 

We  can  ship  these  goods  on  train  leaving  here  Thursday  at 
2  45  p.  m.  so  as  to  reach  you  in  ample  time  to  supply  your 
Saturday  trade. 

3.  The  orator  of  the  day  arose  and  said  "Fellow  citizens 
We  are  here  to  celebrate  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-eighth 
birthday  of  our  nation.     I  presume,"  etc. 

4.  John  said  he  had  two  good  reasons  for  not  attending 
the  reception  one,  that  he  had  a  severe  headache ;  and  the 
other  he  did  not  name. 


REVIEW 

Insert  periods,  interrogation  points,  exclamation  points, 
and  colons  in  the  following : 

1.  The  students  of  the  Shorthand  Department  are 
divided  into  four  classes  B  Theory,  A  Theory,  B  Dictation, 
and  A  Dictation 

2.  The  telegram  read  as  follows  "Will  leave  at  630  if 
possible" 

3.  That  we  should  be  interested  in  the  meaning  of  the 
words  we  are  studying  is  important  for  many  reasons  first, 
unless  the  mind  is  interested  it  is  never  wide  awake ;  and 
again,  because  if  the  meaning  is  vague  or  dim  our  grammat- 
ical analysis  will  at  once  become  mechanical  and  so  lose 
all  its  value — Cody. 

4.  A  sentence  is  like  an  arch  it  must  rest  upon  two 
solid  foundations,  the  subject  noun  and  the  predicate  verb 
to  be  a  good  arch  every  word  must  fit  nicely  into  its  partic- 
ular niche  one  word  which  does  not  fit  perfectly  may  cause 
the  whole  arch  to  fall — Cody. 

5.  Stick  to  your  legitimate  business  do  not  go  into  out- 
side operations  few  men  have  brains  enough  for  more  than 
one  business  to  dabble  in  stocks,  to  put  a  few  thousand 


I66 


dollars  in  a  mine,  and  a  few  more  into  a  manufactory,  and 
a  few  more  into  an  invention,  is  enough  to  ruin  any  man 
be  content  with  fair  returns  do  not  become  greedy  do  not 
think  that  men  are  happy  in  proportion  as  they  are  rich, 
and  therefore  do  not  aim  too  high  be  content  with  moderate 
wealth  make  friends  a  time  will  come  when  all  the  money 
in  the  world  will  not  be  worth  to  you  so  much  as  one  good, 
staunch  friend — Beecher. 

6.  "Now,"  said  Wardle,  after  a  substantial  lunch, 
"what  say  you  to  an  hour  on  the  ice  we  shall  have  plenty 
of  time"  "capital"  said  Mr.  Benjamin  Allen  "prime"  ejac- 
ulated Mr.  Bob  Sawyer  "you  skate,  of  course.  Winkle" 
said  Wardle — Dickens. 


FIFTH     LESSON 


THE  SEMICOLON 

The  semicolon  is  used : 

1.  Between  the  members  of  a  compound  sentence  when 
the  conjunction  is  omitted : 

He  loved  praise  when  it  was  brought  to  him ;  he  was 
too  proud  to  seek  it. 

If  the  conjunction  were  written  in  this  sentence,  a  comma 
would  be  used : 

He  loved  praise  when  it  was  brought  to  him,  hut  he  was 
too  proud  to  seek  it. 

2.  To  separate  the  members  of  a  compound  sentence 
when  one  or  both  members  are  punctuated  with  commas : 

He  loved  praise  when  it  was  brought  to  him  ;  but,  unlike 
many  of  his  contemporaries,  he  was  too  proud  to  seek  it, 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I67 

The  car  of  oats  goes  tomorrow ;  the  car  of  corn,  Saturday. 
John  wrote  a  story;     Mary,  an  essay;     and  Charlie,  a 
poem. 

3.  Before  the  expressions  viz.,  e.  g.,  i.  e.,  to  wit,  namely, 
as,  thus,  etc.,  introducing  an  illustration  or  an  enumeration: 

Lincoln  was  a  war  president ;  i.  e.,  he  was  president  during 
the  war. 

The  word  "knowledge,"  strictly  employed,  implies  three 
things ;    namely,  truth,  proof,  and  conviction. 

Some  words  are  delightful  to  the  ear  ;  as,  Ontario,  golden, 
oriole. 

4.  Between  serial  phrases  or  clauses  having  a  common 
dependence  on  something  which  precedes  or  follows : 

Science  declares  that  no  particle  of  matter  can  be  de- 
stroyed ;  that  each  atom  has  its  place  in  the  universe ;  and 
that,  in  seeking  to  find  that  place,  each  obeys  certain  fixed 
laws. 

If  we  think  of  glory  in  the  field  ;  of  wisdom  in  the  cabinet ; 
of  the  purest  patriotism ;  of  morals  without  a  stain — the 
august  figure  of  Washington  presents  itself  as  the  personi- 
fication of  all  these  ideas. 

Exercise  5 

Insert  semicolons  in  the  following : 

1.  Partisans  on  one  side  say  that  the  causes  of  failure 
were  tariff  reduction  and  depression  due  to  pending  legisla- 
tion at  Washington  those  on  the  ocher  assert  that  they  were 
local  conditions  and  overextension. 

2.  Only  three  persons  were  engaged  in  the  conflict 
namely  a  stout  Englishman,  a  swarthy  Italian,  and  an 
excited  Frenchman. 


l68  ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  Some  men  divide  the  history  of  the  world  into  four 
ages  viz.  the  golden  age,  the  silver  age,  the  brazen  age,  and 
the  iron  age. 

4.  Pronunciation  is  rapid  phonetic  spelling  phonetic 
spelling,  slow  pronunciation. 

5.  All  parts  of  a  plant  reduce  to  three  namely,  root, 
stem,  and  leaf. 

6.  No  man  is  born  into  the  world,  whose  work  is  not 
born  with  him  there  is  always  work  and  tools  to  work  withal, 
for  those  who  will. — Lowell. 

7.  Formerly,  when  great  fortunes  were  only  made  in 
war,  war  was  a  business  but  now,  when  great  fortunes  are 
only  made  by  business,  business  is  war. — Bovee. 

8.  Beware  of  little  expenses  a  small  leak  will  sink  a 
great  ship. — Franklin. 

9.  "Let  not  thy  table  exceed  the  fourth  part  of  thy 
revenue  too  much  is  a  vanity  enough  is  feast." 

10.  Talent  is  that  which  is  in  a  man's  power  genius  is 
that  in  whose  power  a  man  is. — Lowell. 


REVIEW 

Insert  periods,  interrogation  points,  exclamation  points, 
colons,  and  semicolons  in  the  following : 

I.  What  is  an  education  it  consists  in  the  formation  of 
certain  habits  when  a  man  is  truly  educated  he  has  acquired 
the  habit  of  observing  facts  and  people  of  thinking  about 
them  of  reading  what  other  people  think  about  them  of 
growing  his  own  thoughts  on  a  variety  of  subjects  of  regu- 
lating his  own  thoughts,  avoiding  idle  reverie,  and  acquiring 
the  art  of  concentration  of  expressing  his  thoughts  by  voice 
and  pen  of  embodying  his  knowledge  in  action,  and  this  in 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 69 

the  service  of  the  individual  and  society  this  man  is  the 
truly  educated  man — Bishop  John  H.    Vincent 

2.  There  have  been  spectacles  more  dazzling  to  the  eye, 
more  gorgeous  with  jewelry  and  cloth  of  gold,  more  attrac- 
tive to  grown-up  children,  than  that  which  was  then  exhib- 
ited at  Westminster  but  perhaps  there  never  was  a  spectacle 
so  well  calculated  to  strike  a  highly  cultivated,  a  reflecting, 
and  imaginative  mind — Macaulay 

3.  The  Englishman  instantly  perceived  his  mistake,  and 
he  answered  the  artifice  by  a  roar  of  artillery  Griffith  watched 
the  effects  of  the  broadside  with  an  absorbing  interest  as 
the  shot  whistled  above  his  head  but  when  he  perceived 
his  masts  untouched,  and  the  few  unimportant  ropes  only 
that  were  cut,  he  replied  to  the  uproar  with  a  burst  of  plea- 
sure 

4.  Studies  serve  for  delight,  for  ornament,  and  for  ability 
their  chief  use  for  delight  is  in  privateness  and  retiring  for 
ornament,  in  discourse  and  for  abiHty,  in  the  judgment  and 
disposition  of  business — Bacon 

5.  To  spend  too  much  time  in  studies  is  sloth  to  use 
them  too  much  for  ornament  is  affectation — Bacon 

6.  Mr.  Pickwick  retired  a  few  paces  apart  from  the 
bystanders,  and  beckoning  his  friend  to  approach,  fixed  a 
searching  look  upon  him,  and  uttered  in  a  low  but  distinct 
and  emphatic  tone,  these  remarkable  words  "You're  a  hum- 
bug, sir"  "a  what"  said  Mr.  Winkle,  starting  "a  humbug, 
sir  I  will  speak  plainer,  if  you  wish  it  an  impostor,  sir" — 
Dickens 

7.  If  the  machine  could  speak,  it  would  tell  you  of  the 
Spanish  shells  which  have  burst  with  horrible  din  within 
sound  of  its  click  it  would  speak  of  the  important  dispatches 
it  has  rushed  on  paper  in  the  dead  of  night  of  the  communi- 
cations it  has  addressed  to  the  enemy,  whose  lines  were  not 
more  than  four  hundred  yards  from  where  it  was  installed 


170  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

of  the  sad  lists  of  the  killed  and  wounded  it  has  made  after 
our  engagements  of  the  deeds  of  American  heroism  to  be- 
reaved parents  of  the  fate  of  their  brave  sons  who  gallantly 
fell  in  battle  of  the  articles  of  capitulation  it  triumphantly 
imprinted,  which,  on  being  signed  by  the  Spanish  and 
American  generals,  caused  the  surrender  of  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  with  25,000  Spanish  soldiers 

8.  Histories  make  men  wise  poets,  witty  the  mathematics, 
subtle  natural  philosophy,  deep  moral,  grave  logic  and 
rhetoric,  able  to  contend — Bacon 

9.  The  human  species  is  composed  of  two  distinct  races 
those  who  borrow  and  those  who  lend. 

10.  A  is  sometimes  used  before  a  word  beginning  with  a 
vowel  as  "A  universal  truth,"  "A  onesided  question"  note 
that  these  words  begin  with  the  same  sound  as  occurs  in 
youth  and  wonder. 


SIXTH   LESSON 


THE  COMMA 

Rule  I.     Expressions  in  apposition  should  be  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas : 

Milton,  the  poet,  was  blind. 

We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  are  lovers  of  republic- 
anism. 

Rule  2.    Explanatory     expressions     should     be     sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas: 

The  subway,   an  underground  railroad,   is  intended   for 
rapid  transit. 
Free  trade,  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  which  a  government 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I7I 

can  confer  on  a  people,  is  in  almost  every  country  unpopular. 

— Macaulay. 

Rule  3.  Parenthetical  expressions  are  usually  separated, 
from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas : 

The  marks  of  parenthesis,  (  ),  are  also  used,  as  will  be 
explained  further  on. 

A  prominent  citizen,  /  am  not  at  liberty  to  disclose  the  name, 
has  presented  this  institution  with  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  verdict,  as  a  matter  of  course,  was  that  he  was  guilty. 

Exercise  6 

Insert  commas  in  the  following  sentences.  Tell  what 
rule  is  involved  in  each  sentence : 

1.  Garfield  the  second  martyred  president  was  born  in 
Ohio. 

2.  I  have  no  doubt  therefore  that  you  can  secure  his 
order. 

3.  Professor  James  the  psychologist  gave  an  interesting 
lecture  last  night. 

4.  The  Colosseum  it  was  built  nearly  two  thousand 
years  ago  stands  in  Rome  today. 

5.  Beautiful  Lake  George  and  no  one  will  question  its 
beauty  nestles  among  the  rugged  peaks  of  the  Adirondacks. 

6.  Bismarck  the  founder  of  German  unity  was  one  of 
the  greatest  men  of  the  last  generation. 

7.  It  is  simply  my  desire  not  my  command  that  this 
shall  be  done. 

8.  J.  M.  Scott  being  duly  sworn  says  that  he  is  the 
attorney  for  the  plaintiff. 

9.  I  prefer  on  the  whole  to  have  my  own  way. 

10.  Mr.  C.  L.  Wilson  our  traveling  salesman  will  be  in 
your  city  the  lOth  inst. 


172  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1 1 .  We  are  in  fact  only  beginning  to  feel  its  effects  upon 
our  business. 

12.  Truth  like  gold  shines  brighter  by  collision. 

13.  Paul  the  great  apostle  was  a  man  of  energy. 

14.  The  bearer  of  this  letter  Miss  Mary  Brown  visits 
your  city  to  find  employment  as  an  amanuensis. 

15.  This  book  based  on  the  Pitmanic  alphabet  is  the 
joint  work  of  prominent  reporters  and  teachers. 


REVIEW 

In  the  following,  insert  periods,  interrogations,  exclamation 
points,  colons,  semicolons,  and  commas  to  separate  apposi- 
tive,  explanatory,  and  parenthetical  expressions.  All  other 
commas  are  inserted : 

1.  The  title  of  professor  belongs  of  right  to  anyone 
elected  by  the  proper  authorities  to  a  regular  chair  in  an 
educational  institution  organized  with  full  departments  and 
faculty  and  conferring  degrees  under  legal  charter  professor 
is  now  applied  however  to  a  salaried  graduate  actually  em- 
ployed in  teaching,  or  whose  duty  it  is  to  teach  the  title  is 
given  by  courtesy  to  scholars  and  scientists  who  have 
become  noted  as  specialists 

2.  A  well-appointed  dinner  is  one  of  the  pleasantest 
occasions  of  social  life  the  company  being  more  select  than 
at  ordinary  parties,  greater  care  is  observed  in  regard  to 
all  arrangements  to  avoid  mistakes,  one  should  be  careful 
as  to  the  day  and  hour  named  in  the  invitation,  and  each 
should  be  addressed  to  the  person  for  whom  it  is  intended 

3.  Well  is  often  used  as  an  adjective,  meaning  good 
health  as  I  am  very  well,  thank  you  there  is  not  a  well  person 
in  the  family 

4.  Dr.  Noel  for  that  was  his  name  had  been  forced  to 


173 

leave  London  where  he  enjoyed  a  large  and  increasing 
practice  and  it  was  hinted  that  the  police  had  been  the  in- 
stigators of  this  change  of  scene  at  least  he,  who  had  made 
something  of  a  figure  in  earlier  life,  now  dwelt  in  the  Latin 
Quarter  in  great  simplicity  and  solitude,  and  devoted  much 
of  his  time  to  study 

5.  The  prices  for  this  company's  coal  delivered  free  on 
board  vessels  or  cars  at  Hoboken  are  as  follows  Grate  $4.75 
egg  $5  stove  $5  chestnut  $5  per  gross  ton  of  2240  pounds 

6.  Suppose  you  give  your  employer  just  ten  dollars' 
worth  of  work  for  ten  dollars'  pay,  is  this  a  good  bargain 
would  it  be  a  good  bargain  for  an  acorn  to  make  with  itself 
that  it  would  remain  a  starved  and  stunted  scrub  oak  be- 
cause it  is  too  much  work,  too  much  trouble  to  grow  into 
a  large  and  commanding  giant  of  the  forest  can  you  afford 
to  remain  a  starved  and  stunted  man  with  narrow  experience 
with  a  limited  observation  with  little  skill  and  a  stunted 
discipline  just  for  the  sake  of  getting  square  with  your 
employer  and  not  earning  more  than  you  get 

7.  Canada  by  geographical  and  climatic  limitations 
must  grow  grain,  and  Canada  can  only  prosper  on  the  pros- 
perity of  its  graingrowers  the  graingrower  can  only  prosper 
as  he  secures  every  last  fraction  of  a  cent  from  the  consuming 
markets  abroad 

8.  Is  such  an  expenditure  justified  let  us  see  it  is  a  well- 
known  trade  maxim  that  the  price  of  the  surplus  of  a  crop 
makes  the  price  on  that  crop  that  the  price  in  the  terminal 
market  is  the  basis  on  which  much  of  that  crop  changes 
hands  though  it  never  actually  moves  through  that  market. 

9.  A  good  many  people  of  honest  motives  thought  that 
a  period  of  American  occupation  and  oversight  was  necessary 
for  the  reconstruction  of  Mexico  that  it  would  have  to  come 
sooner  or  later  and  that  the  longer  it  was  delayed  the  worse 
would  be  the  wreckage  of  property. 


174  ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

10.  If  you  can  not  use  these  goods  at  this  price,  return 
them  to  us  and  we  will  credit  your  account  otherwise  kindly 
send  us  check  for  the  amount  deducted  we  shall  be  pleased 
to  hear  from  you  at  once 


SEVENTH   LESSON 

Rule  4.  Words,  phrases,  or  clauses  in  the  same  con- 
struction forming  a  series  should  be  separated  from  one 
another  by  commas,  unless  the  conjunctions  are  given. 
Observe  the  different  ways  a  series  may  be  written  and  how 
each  is  punctuated. 

A  series  may  be  used : 

With  all  conjunctions  except  the  last  omitted  ;  as.  Apples, 
peaches,  pears,  and  plums  grow  in  the  orchard. 

With  all  conjunctions  omitted ;  as.  Faith,  hope,  charity, 
should  govern  our  lives. 

NOTE. — ^When  a  series  of  adjectives  modifies  a  following 
noun,  the  comma  is  omitted  after  the  last  member ;  as, 
Bright,  healthful,  vigorous  poetry  was  written  by  Scott. 

Arranged  in  pairs ;  as,  Sink  or  swim,  live  or  die,  survive 
or  perish,  I  am  for  the  Declaration. 

With  all  conjunctions  inserted ;  as,  An  elephant  and  a 
lion  and  a  royal  tiger  and  a  horse  with  horns  and  other 
strange  beasts  had  come  to  town. 

NOTE. — Usually  when  all  the  conjunctions  are  used  no 
commas  are  necessary.  Sometimes,  however,  for  the  purpose 
of  special  emphasis  on  each  member,  both  commas  and 
conjunctions  are  used ;  as.  An  elephant,  and  a  lion,  and  a 
royal  tiger,  and  a  horse  with  horns,  and  other  strange  beasts, 
etc. 

When  the  series  is  followed  by  a  complete  statement,  a 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  175 

comma  is  placed  after  the  last  member ;   as,  Apples,  pears, 
peaches,  and  plums,  all  grew  in  the  orchard. 

NOTE. — Some  phrases  that  look  like  series,  are  not  such, 
and  should  not  be  separated  by  commas ;  as,  a  handsome 
young  man,  a  red-hot  stove,  little  old  man,  fine  big  fat  hen. 

Exercise  7 

Insert  commas  in  the  following : 

1.  Good  stenographers  can  spell  punctuate  capitalize 
and  paragraph  correctly. 

2.  Corn  wheat  oats  and  rye  all  have  advanced  in  price. 

3.  We  have  a  large  selection  of  hemlock  white  pine 
Norway  etc. 

4.  We  have  just  received  an  order  for  ten  chair  cars 
four  cafe  cars  and  two  postal  and  baggage  cars. 

5.  He  went  past  the  mill  over  the  bridge  and  through 
the  tunnel. 

6.  The  principal  marks  used  in  punctuation  are :  comma 
semicolon  colon  period  interrogation  point  exclamation 
point  marks  of  parenthesis  brackets  dash  quotation  marks 
hyphen  and  apostrophe. 

7.  Wisdom  justice  self-denial  nobleness  purity  high- 
mindedness  these  are  the  qualities  before  which  the  free- 
born  races  of  Europe  have  been  content  to  bow.- 

8.  Honesty  and  sincerity  truth  and  candor  are  enviable 
traits  of  character. 

9.  A  calm  serene  cheerful  old  age  is  always  useful. 

10.  We  had  driven  through  the  village  across  the  cause- 
way and  up  the  ascent. 

11.  The  Indian  the  sailor  the  hunter  only  these  know 
the  power  of  the  hands  feet  teeth  eyes  and  ears. — Emerson. 

J2.     Beauty  truth  and  goodness  are  never  out  of  date. 


176  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

13.  We  carry  a  full  line  of  blankets  in  the  following 
colors :  black  and  red  black  and  white  cardinal  tan  white 
and  gray. 

14.  He  was  brave  pious  patriotic  in  all  his  aspirations. 

15.  Infinite  space  endless  numbers  and  eternal  duration 
fill  the  mind  with  great  ideas. 

16.  Science  tunnels  mountains  spans  continents  bridges 
seas  and  weighs  the  stars. 

17.  Crafty  men  contemn  studies  simple  men  admire 
them  wise  men  use  them. 

18.  Speak  as  you  mean  do  as  you  profess  and  perform 
what  you  promise. 

REVIEW 

In  the  following  paragraphs  insert  periods,  interroga- 
tions, colons,  semicolons,  and  commas  required  by  rules 
I,  2,  3,  and  4: 

1.  When  we  ask  ourselves,  "Just  what  do  I  mean  do 
these  words  say  just  what  I  mean  do  they  say  anything  that 
I  do  not  mean,"  we  are  in  a  critical  mood — Lewis 

2.  A  clear  piece  of  glass  is  transparent  you  see  through 
it  you  do  not  see  the  glass  itself  the  same  thing  is  true  of  a 
clear  piece  of  writing  if  it  is  perfectly  transparent,  the  reader 
does  not  think  about  the  words  as  words  he  sees  the  thought 
beyond  the  words — Lewis 

3.  But  do  business  men  never  write  long  sentences  alas 
many  are  only  too  prone  to  this  form  of  amusement  amuse- 
ment it  is,  for  there  is  a  curious  pleasure  in  seeing  how 
many  words  may  be  packed  into  one  package — Lewis 

4.  The  semicolon  is  a  kind  of  weak  full  stop  so  far  as 
grammar  is  concerned,  it  may  be  used  instead  of  a  period 
any  complete  statement  may  take  a  period  any  complete 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  177 

Statement  may  take  a  semicolon  join  short  statements 
together  and  you  indicate  that  they  go  together  as  similar 
and  unemphatic  assertions  they  are  similar  they  are  short 
they  often  repeat  the  thought  in  different  words  they  are 
only  semicolons — Lewis 

5.  By  making  the  experiment  one  can  easily  learn  two 
things  one  how  much  useful  knowledge  can  be  acquired  in 
a  very  little  time  and  the  other  how  much  time  can  be  spared 
by  good  management  out  of  the  busiest  day. 

6.  The  plan  of  the  formal  business  letter  shows  six 
divisions  the  heading  the  inside  address  the  salutation  the 
body  the  complimentary  close  the  signature  each  of  these 
requires  special  consideration. 

7.  The  potential  mode  asserts  the  power  liberty  possi- 
bility or  necessity  of  the  action  or  being  as  we  may  play 
we  can  walk  we  must  go. 

8.  We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident  that  all  men 
are  created  equal  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator 
with  certain  inalienable  rights  that  among  these  rights  are 
life  liberty  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  that  to  secure  these 
rights  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  deriving 
their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed  that 
whenever  any  form  of  government  becomes  destructive  of 
these  ends,  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  abolish  it,  and  to 
institute  a  new  government. 

9.  Mr.  B.  A.  Hayes  the  bearer  of  this  letter  has  been 
in  our  employ  for  over  a  year,  and  in  that  time  has  proved 
himself  worthy  of  confidence  his  work  was  always  carefully 
and  honestly  performed,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
give  him  this  letter  you  will  find  Mr.  Hayes  ever  honest 
energetic  and  willing  in  all  ways  to  make  your  wishes  his 
first  care. 

10.  Among  the  qualifications  of  a  good  stenographer 
are  accuracy  or  the  ability  to  spell  and  punctuate  rapidly 


178  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

which  means  getting  work  done  quickly  without  sacrifice  of 
accuracy  and  modesty  which  means  so  many  things  that  we 
won't  try  to  enumerate  them  here  a  stenographer  who  has 
these  need  never  be  without  remunerative  employment. 


EIGHTH   LESSON 

Rule  5.  Inverted  expressions;  that  is,  expressions  out 
of  their  natural  order,  should  be  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  sentence  by  commas: 

Inverted :  //  you  are  not  satisfied  with  your  present  posi- 
tion, you  are  at  liberty  to  resign  and  go  elsewhere. 

Natural  order :  You  are  at  liberty  to  resign  and  go  else- 
where if  you  are  not  satisfied  with  your  present  position. 

'Inverted :     Where  law  ends,  tyranny  begins. 
Natural  order:    Tyranny  begins  where  law  ends. 

Note  that  in  the  natural  order  no  comma  is  required. 

All  sentences  beginning  with  subordinate  conjunctions 
contain  inverted  clauses.  The  most  common  are  those 
beginning  with  if,  as,  or  when. 

Rule  6.  Expressions  in  the  absolute  construction 
should  be  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas: 

The  sun  having  set,  we  returned. 

Hoping  to  hear  from  you,  we  remain  Yours  truly. 

Rule  7.  Expressions  of  direct  address  should  be 
separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas: 

Friends,  Romans,  countrymen,  lend  me  your  ears. 
You,  sir,  are  the  man. 

Let  me  assure  you,  Mr.  Jones,  that  the  delay  was  una- 
voidable. 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I79 

Exercise  8 

Insert  commas  required  by  rules  5,  6,  and  7: 

1.  If  you  would  succeed  in  business  be  punctual  in 
observing  your  engagements. 

2.  If  you  would  not  be  forgotten  as  soon  as  you  are 
dead  write  things  worth  reading  or  do  things  worth  writing. 

3.  If  we  think  of  nothing  but  the  end  and  the  reaching 
it  all  is  feverish  unrest  and  toil. 

4.  When  a  man  ceases  to  go  up  he  begins  to  go  down. 

5.  The  loveliest  things  in  life  Tom  are  but  shadows. 

6.  As  evidence  of  our  low  prices  and  square  dealing  we 
submit  to  you  the  following  facts  and  figures. 

7.  Answering  your  inquiry  I  will  say  that  in  1889  Brazil 
became  a  republic. 

8.  Looking  out  of  the  window  we  saw  them  coming. 

9.  What  it  is  our  duty  to  do  we  must  do  not  because 
anyone  can  force  it  from  us  but  because  it  is  right. 

10.  When  a  pronoun  is  added  merely  for  emphasis  and 
distinction  the  comma  is  not  inserted. 

11.  Boast  not  my  friend  of  your  talents. 

12.  Mr.  Chairman  the  subject  shall  receive  immediate 
attention. 

13.  Assuming  that  you  are  a  salesman  John  write  a 
reply  to  the  letter  before  you. 

14.  As  the  salesman  may  not  be  to  blame  in  the  matter 
call  his  attention  to  the  condition  of  affairs  without  saying 
anything  that  would  give  offense. 

15.  For  the  sake  of  those  you  hold  dear  maintain  your 
honor  as  a  man. 

16.  When  the  time  of  the  test  came  every  employee 
remained  at  his  post. 

17.  The  strike  being  at  an  end  work  was  resumed  with- 
out delay. 


l80  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

1 8.  I  believe  ladies  and  gentlemen  that  my  first  duty 
is  to  ask  your  pardon  for  the  ambiguity  of  the  title  under 
which  the  subject  of  my  lecture  has  been  announced. 

19.  Presuming  that  you  seek  instruction  rather  than 
entertainment  I  shall  undertake  a  thorough  explanation 
of  this  rather  technical  question. 

20.  The  river  being  choked  with  ice  it  was  impossible 
for  us  to  proceed. 


REVIEW 

In  the  following  paragraphs,  insert  periods,  interrogations, 
colons,  semicolons,  and  commas  required  by  rules  i,  2,  3, 
4,  5,  6,  and  7: 

1.  I  was  especially  fond  of  animals  and  was  indulged  by 
my  parents  with  a  great  variety  of  pets  with  these  I  spent 
most  of  my  time  and  never  was  so  happy  as  when  feeding 
and  caressing  them  this  peculiarity  of  character  grew  with 
my  growth  and  in  my  manhood  I  derived  from  it  one  of 
my  principal  sources  of  pleasure. 

2.  A  semicolon  separates  closely  connected  sentences 
when  the  conjunction  is  omitted  and  it  also  separates  the 
members  of  compound  sentences  when  one  or  more  members 
contain  commas,  especially  when  the  commas  indicate  the 
omission  of  the  verb  the  rule  itself  furnishes  an  illustration. 

3.  A  colon  should  be  used  after  a  formal  introduction 
to  a  speech  or  lengthy  quotation  as  His  reply  was  this 
"America  has  millions  for  defense,  but  not  one  cent  for 
tribute" 

4.  So  Jackie  today  goes  to  school  with  books  with 
machines  he  develops  his  mind  he  learns  a  trade  who  can 
question  but  that  the  perfection  of  the  plan  will  make 
better  sailors  as  well  as  better  citizens 


ROSSES   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  l8l 

5.  The  study  that  treats  of  the  forms  and  the  construc- 
tions of  words  and  sentences  is  called  grammar  grammar 
does  not  make  the  laws  of  a  language  it  only  states  them 
in  an  orderly  way 

6.  He  read  on  a  marble  tablet  in  the  chapel  wall  opposite 
this  singular  inscription  VLook  not  mournfully  into  the 
past  it  comes  not  back  again  wisely  improve  the  present 
it  is  thine  go  forth  to  meet  the  shadowy  future  without 
fear  and  with  a  manly  heart" 

7.  Brackets  should  be  used  to  enclose  words  or  phrases 
which  are  entirely  independent  of  the  rest  of  the  sentence 
they  are  usually  comments  queries  corrections  criticisms 
or  directions  inserted  by  some  other  person  than  the  original 
writer  or  speaker 

8.  Do  not  hesitate  to  appropriate  and  use  a  racy  idiom 
wherever  you  find  it  there  is  vigor  in  such  phrases  as  the 
following  stick  at  nothing  come  at  win  through  pitch  on 
a  means  hit  on  a  device  get  at  etc  very  often  they  are  as 
strong  as  slang  without  the  odium  attaching  to  slang 


NINTH   LESSON 

Rule  8.  When,  in  certain  clauses  of  a  series,  the  verb 
is  omitted,  the  omission  is  indicated  by  a  comma: 

Shakespeare  lived  in  the  sixteenth  century ;  Milton,  in 
the  seventeenth  ;    and  Scott,  in  the  eighteenth. 

The  comma  after  Milton  and  the  one  after  Scott  indicate 
the  omission  of  lived.  This  style  of  sentence  is  used  to 
avoid  the  repetition  of  the  verb. 

The  clause  in  which  the  omission  occurs  is  always  preceded 
by  a  semicolon.  See  examples  3  and  4  under  Rule  2  for 
semicolon. 


182 


Compare  the  following  sentence  with  the  example  above. 
What  difference  is  there  in  the  punctuation?    Why? 

The  orator  closed  his  speech  with  these  words:  Caesar 
had  his  Brutus  ;  Charles  the  First,  his  Cromwell,  and  George 
the  Third  may  profit  by  their  example. 

Rule  9.  Short  quotations,  when  especially  emphatic, 
are  usually  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas: 

The  line,  "The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave," 
is  found  in  Gray's  Elegy. 

When  the  quotation  is  a  word  or  phrase  closely  woven 
into  the  sentence,  not  making  complete  sense  in  itself,  the 
commas  are  not  necessary: 

He  introduced   the  man  as   "my  distinguished   friend." 
The  new  bookkeeper  was  "fired"  as  it  was  found  that  he 

was  incompetent. 

All  men  may  be  "created  equal"  at  the  outset  yet  they 

do  not  usually  remain  so. 

Exercise  9 

Insert  commas  and  semicolons  in  following : 

1.  Mary  said  "yes"  but  Helen  said  "no." 

2.  The  English  are  stolid  the  French  lively. 

3.  Dickens  wrote  Nicholas  Nickelby  Hugo  Les  Miser- 
ables   Thackeray   Henry    Esmond. 

4.  The  Bible  says   "The  Lord   thy  God  is  a  jealous 
God." 

5.  He  said  "Then  why  are  you  here?" 

6.  A  man  in  trouble  once  wrote  to  a  friend  "I  am  in  a 
hole  and  if  you  don't  help  me  out  I  am  stuck." 

7.  His  friend  replied  "Sorry  I  can't  help  you  old  fellow 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  183 

but  if  you  are  in  a  hole  you  can't  get  out  of  I  am  coming 
to  see  the  hole,     It  must  be  a  wonder." 

8.  One  murder  makes  a  villain  millions  a  hero. 

9.  A  tree  is  known  by  its  fruits  a  man  by  his  acts. 

10.  War  is  the  law  of  violence  peace  the  law  of  love. 

11.  "Oh  Mr.  Pickwick"  said  Mrs.  Bardell  trembling 
with  agitation  ''you're  very  kind  sir." 

12.  "Think  you  Abel"  said  Paul  at  last  "that  the  storm 
drove  hither?" 

13.  The  idle  want  steadiness  of  purpose  the  indolent 
power  of  exertion. 

14.  In  the  first  part  of  the  discourse  was  shown  the 
necessity  of  exercise  in  the  second  the  advantages  that  would 
result  from  it. 

15.  Seconds  make  the  minutes  the  hours  the  days  and 
the  days  round  out  the  weeks  and  years. 


REVIEW 

In  the  following  paragraphs  insert  all  marks  required  : 

1.  The  saying  a  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in 
his  own  country  has  no  application  here  for,  as  Mr.  Blank 
believes  in  Birmingham  and  the  South,  so  they  believe  in 
him  he  is  a  worthy  exponent  of  the  new  theory  of  service. 

2.  Mr.  Case  the  principal  speaks  enthusiastically  of  the 
fine  support  given  by  all  the  students  Miss  Webster  the 
head  of  the  department  is  making  a  fine  record  and  the 
graduates  are  all  in  good  positions. 

3.  God  made  us  all  bundles  of  wonderful  possibilities 
the  trouble  with  so  many  is  that  they  never  know  their  own 
worth  or  power  they  don't  dig  down  deep  enough  to  make 
the  fountains  of  their  subconscious  faculties  flow. — A.  F, 
Sheldon, 


184  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

4.  As  a  rule  Saxon  words  coming  as  they  do  from  the 
simpler  ages  of  history  express  simpler  things  and  are  shorter 
they  build  up  the  native  framework  of  the  language  too  the 
pronouns  articles  prepositions  conjunctions  interjections  are 
of  Saxon  origin. 

5.  Some  of  the  plainer  distinctions  in  words  are  degrees 
of  intensity  as  anger  rage  fury  differences  of  bulk  or  size 
as  knoll  hill  mountain  and  grades  of  stateliness  or  dignity 
as  house  residence  mansion  all  these  degrees  of  meaning 
have  their  fitting  use  and  place. 

6.  If  instead  of  saying  "John  gave  me  this  book"  we 
say  "It  was  John  who  gave  me  this  book"  we  have  already 
by  moving  the  subject  only  slightly  from  its  natural  place 
thrown  the  chief  emphasis  upon  it. 

7.  In  bringing  this  matter  up  again  we  have  in  mind  a 
new  inquiry  namely  how  does  the  use  of  such  language 
affect  the  quality  of  force  many  of  the  following  sentences 
are  not  incorrect  at  all  but  they  can  be  improved  in  accord- 
ance with  the  data  above  given. 

8.  We  can  almost  fancy  that  we  are  visiting  him  (Milton) 
in  his  small  lodging  that  we  see  him  sitting  at  the  old  organ 
beneath  the  faded  green  hangings  that  we  can  catch  the 
quick  twinkle  of  his  eyes  rolling  in  vain  to  find  the  day 
that  we  are  reading  in  the  lines  of  his  noble  countenance 
the  proud  and  mournful  history  of  his  glory  and  his  afflic- 
tion.— Macaulay. 

TENTH   LESSON 

Rule  10.  Unrestrictive  relative  and  adverbial  clauses 
should  be  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas. 

WJio^  which,  and  that  are  the  words  most  commonly  used 
for  introducing  relative  clauses;  and  when  and  where,  for 
adverbial  clauses. 


ROSS's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


185 


Care  must  be  taken  to  distinguish  between  restrictive 
and  unrestrictive  clauses.  Restrictive  clauses  should  not 
be  set  off. 

RESTRICTIVE  CLAUSES 

A  restrictive,  relative  clause  limits  the  meaning  of  one 
word,  the  antecedent.  It  has  the  force  of  a  simple  adjective. 
It  merely  identifies. 

This  use  of  the  restrictive  clause  may  be  understood  by 
comparing  the  following  sentences : 


Restrictive  Relative  Clause 

1 .  The  horse  that  won  the 
race  was  owned  by  Mr. 
Ketchum. 

2.  There  is  no  subject 
which  interests  me  more  than 
architecture. 

3.  Men  that  are  honest 
are  better  than  men  that 
are  dishonest. 


Equivalent  Adjective 

1 .  The  winning  horse  was 
owned  by  Mr.  Ketchum. 

2.  There  is  no  subject 
more  interesting  to  me  than 
architecture. 

3.  Honest  men  are  better 
than  dishonest  men. 


In  many  sentences  the  restrictive  clause  may  be  substi- 
tuted by  a  noun ;    as, 


1.  The  man  who  discov- 
ered America  did  not  know 
he  had  found  a  new  world. 

2.  I  was  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  engineer 
who  btiilt  the  subway. 


1.  The  discoverer  of 
America  did  not  know  he 
had  found  a  new  world. 

2.  I  was  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  builder 
(or  engineer)  of  the  subway. 


i86 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


UNRESTRICTIVE  CLAUSES 

An  unrestrictive  clause  does  not  limit  the  meaning  of 
any  particular  word,  but  adds  a  thought  to  the  sentence. 

An  unrestrictive  clause  either  explains  the  idea  of  the 
antecedent  and  has  the  force  of  an  appositive  noun,  or 
expresses  an  additional  idea  and  has  the  force  of  a  co- 
ordinate sentence. 


1.  Men,  who  are  rational 
animals,  are  better  than 
brutes,  which  are  irrational 
animals. 

2.  Mr.  Harris,  who  has 
been  there  all  the  time,  told  me 
about  it. 


1.  Men,  rational  animals, 
are  better  than  brutes,  ir- 
rational animals.  (Apposi- 
tive nouns.) 

2.  Mr.  Harris  told  me 
about  it,  and  he  has  been 
there  all  the  time.  (Coordi- 
nate   sentence.) 


A  sentence  containing  an  unrestrictive  clause  expresses 
two  complete  thoughts.  The  writer  has  his  choice  of  three 
ways  of  expressing  the  two  thoughts.  He  may  use  two  sen- 
tences ;  as,  Mr.  Harris  told  me  about  it.  He  has  been  there 
all  the  time. 

He  may  show  a  closer  relation  between  the  two  thoughts 
by  using  a  compound  sentence  ;  as,  Mr.  Harris  told  me  about 
it,  and  he  has  been  there  all  the  time. 

The  two  thoughts  may  be  brought  into  still  closer  relation 
by  using  the  unrestrictive  clause ;  as,  Mr.  Harris,  who  has 
been  there  all  the  time,  told  me  about  it. 

The  failure  to  distinguish  between  restrictive  and  unre- 
strictive clauses  may  make  a  material  difference  in  the 
meaning  of  many   sentences. 

A  schoolmaster  wrote  upon  the  blackboard  this  notice: 


Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  1 87 

The   pupils  of    this   school    who    have    recited    creditably 
this  week  will  be  given  a  half  holiday  Friday. 

The  first  pupil  to  enter  the  room  surreptitiously  placed 
commas  after  school  and  week. 

What  difference  did  that  make  in  the  meaning? 


Exercise  10 

Rewrite  the  following  sentences.  Underscore  the  clauses. 
Set  off  unrestrictive  clauses  by  commas: 

1.  The  man  who  was  killed  was  an  Italian. 

2.  Who  is  the  author  of  'The  Winning  of  Barbara 
Worth"  which  I  noticed  you  were  reading  last  night? 

3.  Who  is  the  author  of  the  book  which  you  returned 
to  the  library  yesterday. 

4.  It  is  raining  again  this  morning  which  is  just  as  I 
expected. 

5.  Charles  Anderson  can  write  two  hundred  words  a 
minute  which  is  a  remarkable  feat  for  a  boy  of  his  age. 

6.  The  stock  reports  that  you  sent  in  this  morning  are 
not  in  proper  form. 

7.  Webster,  who  wrote  a  dictionary  was  not  Webster 
who  was  a  great  statesman. 

8.  He  had  a  careless  way  of  flashing  his  torch  into 
people's  faces  which  compelled  them  to  jump  to  save  them- 
selves. 

9.  In  the  spring  of  1889  he  went  to  Kansas  where  he 
has  lived  ever  since. 

ID.  The  present  schedule  will  be  in  effect  until  Septem- 
ber 15th  when  the  regular  winter  schedule  will  be  resumed. 

II.  Clarence  will  become  a  partner  in  his  father's  busi- 
ness when  he  has  finished  his  college  course. 


1 88  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

12.  The  robbers  were  unable  to  find  out  where  the  treas- 
ure had  been  hidden. 

13.  We  find  ourselves  out  of  the  stock  you  order  which 
is  as  annoying  to  us  as  it  is  to  you. 

14.  Please  bring  me  the  Eldridge  dictation  book  which 
you  will  find  on  my  desk. 

15.  Bring  me  the  dictation  book  which  is  lying  on  my 
desk. 

16.  You  have  done  your  work  well  which  is  all  I  ask. 

17.  He  will  be  here  in  a  few  days  when  we  will  take  the 
matter  up  with  him. 

18.  I  will  advise  you  fully  in  the  matter  when  I  hear 
from  the  manufacturers. 

19.  A  relative  or  adverbial  clause  which  is  restrictive 
should  not  be  set  off  by  commas. 

20.  An  unrestrictive  relative  clause  which  is  one  that 
adds  a  thought  to  a  sentence  should  be  set  off  by  commas. 

21.  We  shall  see  them  in  Boston  tomorrow  when  we 
shall  get  full  information  and  communicate  with  you. 

22.  The  eye  which  sees  all  things  sees  not  itself. 

23.  My  brother  who  lives  in  Kansas  came  to  see  me. 

24.  My  brother  John  who  lives  in  Kansas  came  to  see 
me. 

25.  My  brother  that  lives  in  Kansas  came  to  see  me. 


REVIEW 

1.  Intermediate  expressions  are  expressions  that  come 
between  closely  related  parts  of  a  sentence  as  for  instance 
between  the  subject  and  the  predicate  between  the  parts 
of  a  verb  phrase  or  between  the  verb  and  its  complement. 

2.  The  Revival  of  Learning  merged  in  what  we  call  the 
Renaissance  a  general  quickening  of  European  interest  in 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  1 89 

everything  human  the  Renaissance  gave  us  Italian  painting 
and  sculpture  it  gave  us  Shakespeare  and  it  gave  us  the 
great  imaginative  explorers  like  Raleigh  and  Drake. 

3.  The  form  "I  say"  is  permissible  in  vivid  narration 
like  the  following  the  whistle  blows  and  in  three  minutes 
there  is  a  line  of  fifty  men  at  the  window  I  the  timekeeper  am 
watching  them  I  say  to  Arthur  "are  you  ready"  and  the  busy 
paymaster  gives  a  nod  which  shakes  off  the  ashes  of  his 
cigar  I  open  the  window  and  Arthur  begins  to  sort  out  the 
pay-envelopes. 

4.  It  is  common  to  divide  narration  into  two  kinds 
narration  without  plot  and  narration  with  plot  "plot"  at 
once  suggests  a  work  of  fiction  and  something  complicated 
suppose  we  substitute  "suspense"  for  plot  some  narratives 
are  so  constructed  as  to  arouse  much  suspense  others  very 
little. 

5.  We  may  learn  more  from  our  mistakes  than  our 
successes  how  does  the  beginner  use  his  errors  has  he  the 
wit  to  search  and  see  how  the  blunder  originated  and  how 
it  can  be  avoided  in  the  future  or  does  he  merely  shrug 
his  shoulders  and  excuse  himself  with  the  reflection  that  he 
could  not  help  it  in  short  does  he  profit  by  his  mistakes  or 
not  when  he  finds  that  his  knowledge  is  defective  as  for 
instance  when  he  encounters  in  dictation  some  word  or 
phrase  with  which  he  is  unacquainted  does  he  look  up  a 
dictionary  or  a  book  of  reference  or  inquire  of  a  fellow  clerk 
so  as  to  be  sure  that  the  expression  is  correctly  rendered 
in  his  transcript. 

6.  In  business  nobody  ever  asks  what  is  a  declarative 
sentence  but  failure  to  place  a  question  mark  at  the  end  of 
an  interrogative  sentence  or  a  period  at  the  end  of  a  declar- 
ative sentence  brings  instant  criticism  anyone  who  can 
place  the  question  mark  the  period  and  the  exclamation 


190  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

point  correctly  can  do  all  the  things  involved  in  knowing 
different  kinds  of  sentences. — Cody. 

7.  Mr.  C.  L.  Wilson  our  traveling  salesman  will  be  in 
your  city  on  Friday  the  loth  inst.  when  we  hope  you  will 
talk  over  further  details  pertaining  to  this  matter  the  last 
invoice  amounted  to  $820.  Mr.  Wilson  may  be  able  to 
offer  you  a  discount  on  it  5  percent  being  the  usual  rate 
but  if  you  can  arrange  for  10  percent  we  will  be  satisfied. 

8.  Mr.  Andrews  spoke  to  us  regarding  your  two-story 
flat  building  will  you  kindly  give  us  details  of  same  size 
of  lot  number  of  rooms  what  heat  rent  encumbrance  if 
any  and  price. 

9.  If  you  care  to  consider  our  proposition  kindly  advise 
and  we  will  put  you  into  communication  with  our  represen- 
tative Mr.  Brown  who  can  give  you  all  the  information 
you  desire. 

10.  Please  ship  by  express  the  following  goods  12  doz 
ladies'  handkerchiefs  all  lines  hemstitch  $1  per  doz  i  gross 
white  cotton  thread  assorted  numbers  i  doz  children's 
bibs  your  No.  60  prompt  filling  of  this  order  will  greatly 
oblige  us. 

GENERAL  RULE  FOR  COMMA 

Occasionally,  the  insertion  of  a  comma,  not  called  for 
by  any  of  the  rules  thus  far  given,  is  necessary  to  make  the 
meaning  clear.  Nearly  all  works  on  punctuation,  therefore, 
include  a  general  rule : 

"Use  a  comma  to  indicate  a  slight  interruption  in  the 
grammatical  construction  of  a  sentence,  where  no  other 
mark  is  applicable." — Kennedy. 

To  remain  in  one  spot  always,  prevents  the  mind  from 
taking  comprehensive  views  of  things. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I9I 

The  prisoner,  said  the  witness,  was  a  convicted  thief. 
He  who  teaches,  often  learns  himself. 


ELEVENTH   LESSON 


QUOTATIONS 

Every  direct  quotation  should  be  enclosed  within 
quotation  marks.  A  direct  quotation  consists  of  the  exact 
words  of  the  original : 

Nelson  said,  "England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty." 

When  the  quotation  is  interrupted  by  words  thrown  in 
by  the  speaker  or  writer,  both  parts  of  the  quotation  must 
be  enclosed : 

"You  may  do  as  you  wish,"  he  said,  "if  you  only  wish  to 
do  right." 

However,  if  a  continuous  quotation  consists  of  several 
complete  sentences,  only  two  quotation   marks  are  used. 

Professor  Lewis  says  in  regard  to  the  semicolon :  "The 
semicolon  is  a  kind  of  weak  full  stop.  So  far  as  grammar 
is  concerned,  it  may  be  used  instead  of  the  period.  Any 
complete  statement  may  take  a  period ;  any  complete 
statement  may  take  a  semicolon." 

If  a  quotation  consists  of  several  paragraphs,  quotation 
marks  should  precede  each  paragraph  and  follow  the  last. 

Titles  of  books,  articles,  etc.,  should  be  enclosed  within 
quotation  marks.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enclose  names  of 
newspapers : 

I  am  sending  you  a  copy  of  "Kim." 
I  am  going  to  see  "The  Master  Mind." 

In  writing  a  conversation  each  direct  quotation,  together 


19^  ROSS'S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

with  the  rest  of  the  sentence  of  which  it  is  a  part,  should 
constitute  a  separate  paragraph : 

Observing  an  unfamiHar  shrub  by  a  country  roadside  a 
student  of  botany  stopped  to  make  an  examination. 

*'Are  you  acquainted  with  this  flower,  young  man?" 
he  asked  of  a  passing  yokel. 

"Yep,"  the  boy  laconically  answered. 

"To  what  family  do  you  think  it  belongs?" 

Indicating  a  near-by  house  with  a  pudgy  thumb  the  boy 
answered  :     "Higginses." — Puck. 

QUOTATION  WITHIN  A  QUOTATION 

Use  single  quotation  marks  ('  ')  to  enclose  a  quotation 
within  a  quotation : 

The  speaker  in  closing  said :  "I  can  imagine  no  more 
inspiring  words  than  those  of  Nelson  at  Trafalgar,  'England 
expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty.'  " 

ORDER  OF  MARKS 

At  the  end  of  a  quotation,  a  comma,  semicolon,  or  period 
is  placed  before  the  quotation  mark.    See  examples  above. 

The  interrogation  or  exclamation  point  is  placed  before, 
if  it  punctuates  the  quotation  only : 

"Can  you  come?"   she  asked. 

He  turned  and  said  to  me,  "Where  are  you  going?" 

If  an  interrogation  or  an  exclamation  point  follows  a 
quotation,  but  punctuates  the  entire  sentence,  it  is  placed 
after  the  quotation  mark: 

Did  you  notice  that  man's  facial  expression  when  he  shout- 
ed, "Long  live  the  king"? 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  193 

Who  is  the  old  gentleman,  who,  when  listening  to  someone 
talking,  keeps  saying,   "Exactly  so,  exactly  so"? 
Why  was  he  "fired"? 

If  the  quotation  makes  complete  sense,  it  begins  with  a 
capital  letter ;  otherwise,  with  a  small  letter.  See  examples 
above. 

INDIRECT  QUOTATIONS 

An  indirect  quotation  expresses  the  thought  of  the  original 
in  different  words.    They  do  not  require  quotation  marks : 

Nelson  said  that  England  expected  every  man  to  do  his 
duty. 

Henry  Clay  said  that  he  would  rather  be  on  the  right  side 
than  to  be  president. 

Exercise  11 

Rewrite  and  punctuate  the  following: 

1.  I  am  not  much  of  a  mathematician  said  the  cigarette 
but  I  can  add  to  a  man's  nervous  troubles  I  can  subtract 
from  his  physical  energy  I  can  multiply  his  aches  and  pains 
I  can  divide  his  mental  power  I  can  take  interest  from  his 
work  and  discount  his  chances  for  success  do  you  want  me 
to  work  for  you 

2.  Emerson  says  there  is  a  time  in  every  man's  education 
when  he  arrives  at  the  conviction  that  envy  is  ignorance 
that  imitation  is  suicide  that  he  must  take  himself  for  better 
or  for  worse  as  his  portion  that  though  the  wide  universe  is 
full  of  good  no  kernel  of  nourishing  corn  can  come  to  him 
but  through  his  toil  bestowed  on  that  plot  of  ground  which 
is  given  him  to  toil. 

3.  When  a  lady  patient  living  far  from  town  had  to  tel- 


194  ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

ephone  for  her  physician  she  apologized  for  asking  him  to 
come  such  a  distance  don't  speak  of  it  said  the  doctor 
cheerfully  I  happen  to  have  another  patient  in  that  vicinity 
and  so  can  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone. — Ladies^  Home 
Journal. 

4.  A  coroner  was  called  upon  to  hold  an  inquest  over  the 
body  of  an  Italian  the  only  witness  was  a  small  boy  of  the 
same  nationality  who  spoke  no  English  the  examination 
proceeded  thus  where  do  you  live  my  boy  the  boy  shook  his 
head  do  you  speak  English  another  shake  of  the  head  do  you 
speak  French  another  shake  do  you  speak  German  still  no 
answer  how  old  are  you  no  reply  have  you  father  and  mother 
no  reply  do  you  speak  Italian  the  boy  gave  no  sign  well  said 
the  coroner  I  have  questioned  the  witness  in  four  languages 
and  can  get  no  answer  it  is  useless  to  proceed  the  court  is 
adjourned. 

5.  Gentlemen  your  letter  of  the  19th  inst  was  sent  to 
our  North  Mills  at  Jamestown  N  Y  and  here  is  their  reply 
thereto  we  return  herewith  letter  received  from  the  Goldman 
Cotton  Co  if  you  wish  an  affidavit  as  to  mark  on  the  bale 
weight  of  the  damaged  cotton  and  the  identity  of  the  tag 
we  shall  send  you  same  we  are  sorry  that  we  can  give  you 
no  more  information  than  is  contained  in  their  letter. 

6.  We  received  your  wire  today  as  follows  can't  get 
ventilated  car  shall  we  ship  potatoes  in  box  car  we  wired 
in  reply  hold  shipment  until  you  can  get  ventilated  car 
which  we  now  confirm. 

7.  Do  not  attempt  to  better  a  faulty  construction  by 
worse  punctuation  as  in  the  following  sentence  a  young 
couple  from  the  East  bought  a  beautiful  residence  from  a 
real  estate  agent  that  had  a  tile  roof  it  should  read  as  follows 
a  young  couple  from  the  East  bought  from  a  real  estate 
agent  a  beautiful  residence  that  had  a  tile  roof. 

8.  Bacon  said  some  books  are  to  be  tasted  others  to  be 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  1 95 

swallowed  and  some  few  to  be  chewed  and  digested  that  is 
some  books  are  to  be  read  only  in  parts  others  to  be  read 
but  not  curiously  and  some  few  to  be  read  wholly  and  with 
diligence  and  attention. 

9.  Recall  to  your  recollection  the  free  nations  which  have 
gone  before  us  where  are  they  now  .  .  .  how  have  they 
lost  their  liberties  if  we  could  transport  ourselves  to  the 
ages  when  Greece  and  Rome  flourished  .  .  .  and 
.  .  .  should  ask  a  Grecian  if  he  did  not  fear  that  some 
daring  military  chieftain  .  .  .  would  some  day  over- 
throw the  liberties  of  his  country  the  confident  and  indignant 
Grecian  would  exclaim  no  no  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
our  heroes  our  liberties  will  be  eternal — Henry  Clay. 

ID.  When  I  was  at  Grand  Cairo  I  picked  up  several 
Oriental  manuscripts  which  I  still  have  by  me  among  others 
I  met  with  one  entitled  the  visions  of  mirza  which  I  have 
read  over  with  great  pleasure  I  intend  to  give  it  to  the  public 
when  I  have  no  other  entertainment  for  them  and  shall 
begin  with  the  first  vision  which  I  have  translated  word 
for  word  as  follows  on  the  fifth  day  of  the  moon,  etc. — 
Addison:   The  Spectator. 

1 1 .  The  genius  smiled  upon  me  with  a  look  of  compassion 
and  affability  that  familiarized  him  to  my  imagination  and 
at  once  dispelled  all  fears  and  apprehensions  with  which  I 
approached  him  he  lifted  me  from  the  ground  and  taking 
me  by  the  hand  mirza  said  he  I  have  heard  thee  in  thy 
soliloquies  follow  me — Addison:   The  Spectator. 

12.  A  recent  writer  says  one  man  had  been  telling  a 
story  of  how  he  had  lost  200  pounds  by  giving  credit  to  a 
man  who  seemed  all  right  and  the  talk  had  drifted  to  credit 
in  general  one  of  the  group  suggested  that  if  a  man  stood 
the  first  two  or  three  credits  he  was  good  to  continue  on 
such  a  basis  but  here  the  first  man  took  him  up  and  said 
that's  wrong  my  customer  had  paid  up  on  no  less  than  four 


196  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

orders  then  he  came  with  the  fifth  and  left  me  in  the  lurch 
it  was  the  confidence  trick  over  again  did  you  get  good 
references  with  him  asked  somebody  yes  they  were  all  right. 

13.  Side-tracked  by  ignorance  for  the  lack  of  a  little 
more  preparation  would  be  a  fitting  epitaph  over  the  grave 
of  many  a  failure  in  every  department  of  endeavor  we  find 
men  switched  off  obliged  to  stop  just  this  side  of  their 
laurels  because  they  did  not  follow  the  main  track  of  thor- 
ough preparation  in  their  youth  perhaps  there  is  no  other 
country  in  the  world  where  so  much  poor  work  is  done  as 
in  America. 

14.  Some  boys  never  seem  to  know  anything  you  ask 
them  if  you  put  to  them  a  question  that  is  in  the  least  out 
of  the  ordinary  you  are  practically  sure  they  will  say  I  do 
not  know  others  always  seem  to  give  you  the  information 
you  want  their  minds  are  alert  quick  receptive  their  knowl- 
edge definite  certain  their  memory  reliable. 

15.  When  you  ask  a  man  to  give  you  a  position  and  he 
reads  this  language  in  your  face  and  manner  please  give  me 
a  position  do  not  kick  me  out  fate  is  against  me  I  am  an 
unlucky  dog  I  am  disheartened  I  have  lost  confidence  in 
myself  he  will  only  have  contempt  for  you  he  will  say  to 
himself  that  you  are  not  a  man  to  begin  with  and  he  will 
get  rid  of  you  as  soon  as  he  can  if  you  consider  yourself  a 
worm  of  the  dust  you  must  expect  people  to  trample  on 
you  if  you  make  a  door-mat  of  yourself  people  are  sure  to 
wipe  their  feet  on.  you. 

16.  We  can  learn  to  live  nobly  only  by  acting  nobly  on 
every  occasion  if  you  shirk  the  first  trial  of  your  manhood 
you  will  be  so  much  weaker  at  the  second  and  if  the  next 
occasion  and  the  next  find  you  unprepared  you  will  unques- 
tionably sink  into  baseness  a  swimmer  becomes  strong  to 
stem  the  tide  only  by  frequently  breasting  the  high  waves 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I97 

if  you  practice  always  in  shallow  waters  your  heart  may  fail 
you  in  the  hour  of  high  flood. 

17.  Mr.  Carnegie  says  the  most  valuable  acquisition  to 
his  business  which  an  employer  can  obtain  is  an  exceptional 
young  man  there  is  no  bargain  so  fruitful. 

This  is  the  Marshall  Field  &  Company  idea  of  what 
makes  the  exceptional  employee : 

To  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time  in  the  right  way 
to  do  some  things  better  than  they  were  ever  done  before 
to  eliminate  errors  to  know  both  sides  of  the  question  to 
be  courteous  to  be  an  example  to  work  for  love  of  the  work 
to  anticipate  requirements  to  develop  resources  to  recognize 
no  impediments  to  master  circumstances  to  act  from  reason 
rather  than  rule  to  be  satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  per- 
fection. 

18.  The  basis  of  the  English  language  is  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  element  in  it  of  the  words  in  the  dictionary  less 
than  one-half  are  Anglo-Saxon  but  of  the  words  in  common 
use  the  proportion  of  derivatives  from  this  source  is  large 
because  most  of  the  connecting  words  the  articles  the  pro- 
nouns and  the  auxiliary  verbs  are  of  Anglo-Saxon  origin. 

19.  Many  minutes  passed  the  old  bellkeeper  was  alone 
Ah  groaned  the  old  man  he  has  forgotten  me  as  the  word 
was  upon  his  lips  a  merry  ringing  laugh  broke  on  his  ear 
and  there  among  the  crowd  on  the  pavement  stood  the  blue- 
eyed  boy  clapping  his  tiny  hands  while  the  breeze  blew  his 
flaxen  hair  all  about  his  face  and  swelling  his  little  chest  he 
raised  himself  on  tiptoe  and  shouted  the  single  word  ring. 

20.  To  be  useful  the  outline  must  have  unity  that  is 
it  should  have  a  few  main  topics  for  which  all  preceding 
topics  prepare  and  which  all  succeeding  topics  complete 
these  main  topics  should  bear  some  necessary  and  logical 
relation  to  one  another. 


198  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

TWELFTH   LESSON 


THE  DASH 

The  dash  is  used : 

1 .  To  show  a  sudden  break  or  transition  in  the  thought : 

It  seems  impossible  to  convince  them  that- — but  why 
discuss  the  matter  further? 

2.  To  mark  the  omission  of  letters  or  figures ;  as,  Mr. 
C — n.     Pages  34 — 60.     1877 — 1914. 

3.  After  as,  namely,  that  is,  etc.,  when  the  statement 
or  enumeration  thus  introduced  begins  on  the  next  line ; 
also  to  separate  the  name  of  an  author  from  an  extract  from 
his  writings;   as — 

Religion  is  the  best  armor  in  the  world,  but  the  worst 
cloak. — Bunyan. 

4.  To  set  off  a  parenthetical  expression  that  has  not  so 
close  a  connection  as  would  be  indicated  by  commas : 

Those  that  hated  him  most  heartily — and  no  man  was 
hated  more  heartily — admitted  that  he  was  an  intelligent 
man. 

Do  not  use  the  dash  indiscriminately  for  the  purpose  of 
concealing  defective  knowledge  or  ignorance  of  the  rules 
for  the  use  of  other  punctuation  marks. 

Make  the  dash  of  sufficient  length  to  prevent  confusion 
with  the  hyphen.  In  typewriting  the  dash  is  made  by 
striking  the  hyphen  twice, 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  I99 


MARKS  OF  PARENTHESIS 

Parentheses  are  used : 

1.  When  an  amount  expressed  in  words  is  followed  by 
an  expression  of  the  same  amount  in  figures;  as,  twenty 
dollars  ($20). 

2.  To  set  off  parenthetical  expressions  that  have  little 
or  no  bearing  on  the  meaning  of  the  sentence.  These  ex- 
pressions are  equivalent  to  aside  remarks  in  spoken  language  : 

In  his  recent  letter  (I  am  enclosing  a  copy  of  it)  he  speaks 
well  of  Miss  Rose. 

The  student  will  note  that  there  are  three  marks  used 
for  setting  off  parenthetical  expressions:  the  comma,  the 
dash,  and  the  curves.  The  mark  to  be  used  is  determined 
by  the  degree  of  parenthesis  the  writer  wishes  to  express. 
In  business  correspondence  the  comma  is  usually  sufficient. 
As  between  dashes  and  curves,  dashes  are  preferable. 

"A  violent  parenthesis  goes  between  dashes;  a  strong 
parenthesis  between  curves ;  a  weak  parenthesis  between 
commas : 

"i.  These  three  qualifications — accuracy,  rapidity,  and 
modesty — are  essential  in  a  good  stenographer. 

"2.  These  three  qualifications  (accuracy,  rapidity,  and 
modesty)  are  essential  in  a  good  stenographer. 

"3.  These  three  qualifications,  accuracy,  rapidity,  and 
modesty,  are  essential  in  a  good  stenographer. 

The  first  of  these  parentheses  throws  the  qualifications 
'  into  high  relief.  The  second  is  strong,  but  so  to  speak 
confidential.  The  third  is  merely  incidental." — Lewis's 
Business  English. 


200 


CURVES  WITH  OTHER  MARKS 

If  a  sentence  requires  a  punctuation  mark  to  divide  the 
parts  between  which  a  parenthesis  stands,  said  mark  should 
be  placed  after  the  second  curve : 

Pride,  in  some  disguise  or  other,  is  the  most  ordinary 
spring  of  action. 

Pride,  in  some  disguise  or  other  (often  a  secret  to  the 
proud  man  himself),  is  the  most  ordinary  spring  of  action. 

If  the  parenthetical  part  itself  requires  punctuation  at 
the  end,  the  mark  belonging  to  the  main  sentence  should 
be  placed  before  the  first  curve: 

Pride,  in  some  disguise  or  other,  (and  what  man  is  without 
pride?)  is  the  most  ordinary  spring  of  action. 


BRACKETS 

Brackets  are  used  to  enclose  matter  having  no  connection 
with  the  text.  It  is  usually  something  in  the  way  of  expla- 
nation, comment,  or.  criticism  inserted  by  someone  other 
than  the  speaker  or  author  quoted : 

Within  a  few  years,  the  commerce  of  the  West  [the 
speaker  here  named  a  dozen  or  more  states]  will  equal  that 
of  the  states  on  the  Atlantic. 

As  there  are  no  brackets  on  the  typewriter  keyboard, 
it  is  permissible  in  typewriting  to  use  the  curves  instead. 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  201 

Exercise  12 

Insert  commas,  dashes,  curves,  and  brackets  in  the 
following : 

1.  Here  at  Concord  once  the  embattled  farmers  stood 
and  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world.    Emerson. 

2.  The  comma  is  used  to  separate  from  the  rest  of  the 
sentence  words  used  out  of  their  natural  order ;  as  At  the 
risk  of  offending  you,  I  take  the  liberty  of  writing  again  the 
natural  order  would  be,  "I  take  the  liberty  of  writing  again 
at  the  risk  of  offending  you" 

3.  Received  from  J.  W.  Wilson  twenty  20  dollars  on 
account. 

4.  My  manual  was  in  my  pocket  I  always  carry  it 
ready  for  instant  use. 

5.  Charm  strikes  the  sight  but  merit  wins  the  soul.  Pope. 

6.  Have  you  ever  seen  but  of  course  you  never  have. 

7.  If  I  were  an  American  as  I  am  an  Englishman  while 
a  foreign  troop  were  landed  in  my  country  I  would  never 
lay  down  my  arms. 

8.  The  honorable  gentleman  Mr.  Hoar  has  referred  to 
my  war  record  here!  here! 

9.  New  England  has  more  weather  to  the  square  inch 
than  any  other  country  on  the  globe  laughter. 

10.  When  the  predicate  is  a  verb  phrase  had  mounted 
did  say  shall  go  might  have  succeeded  etc.  the  laws  of  in- 
version are  satisfied  if  the  subject  follows  not  the  entire 
predicate  but  only  the  first  word  of  it.  C.  Alphonso  Smith: 
Our  Langimge. 


202  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

GENERAL  REVIEW 
Punctuate : 

1.  To  believe  your  own  thought  to  believe  that  what  is 
true  for  you  in  your  private  heart  is  true  for  all  men  that  is 
genius  speak  your  latest  conviction  and  it  shall  be  the 
universal  sense  for  the  inmost  in  due  time  becomes  the  out- 
most and  our  first  thought  is  rendered  back  to  us  by  the 
trumpets  of  the  last  judgment  the  highest  merit  we  ascribe 
to  Moses  Plato  and  Milton  is  that  they  set  at  naught  books 
and  traditions  and  spoke  not  what  men  but  what  they 
themselves  thought     Emerson  Essay  on  Self -Reliance. 

2.  I  married  early  and  was  happy  to  find  in  my  wife  a 
disposition  not  uncongenial  with  my  own  observing  my 
partiality  for  domestic  pets  she  lost  no  opportunity  of  pro- 
curing those  of  the  most  agreeable  kind  we  had  birds  gold- 
fish a  fine  dog  rabbits  a  small  monkey  and  a  cat  Pee  the 
black  cat 

3.  In  speaking  of  his  intelligence  the  cat's  my  wife  who 
at  heart  was  not  a  little  tinctured  with  superstition  made 
frequent  allusion  to  the  ancient  popular  notion  which  re- 
garded all  black  cats  as  witches  in  disguise  not  that  she  was 
ever  serious  upon  this  point  and  I  mention  the  matter  at 
all  for  no  better  reason  than  that  it  happened  just  now  to 
be  remembered. 

4.  When  a  burro  party  up  Bear  Creek  Canon  was  pro- 
posed I  threw  fear  and  vanity  to  the  winds  and  eagerly 
helped  to  make  arrangements  from  the  standpoint  of  that 
day's  experience  and  I  might  remark  in  passing  that  one 
burro  ride  is  the  maximum  human  experience  for  I  have 
never  met  anyone  who  cared  to  repeat  the  performance 
I  should  not  advise  one  to  count  on  saving  shoe  leather  by 
burroing  instead  of  tramping. 

5.  Mr.  Mason  said  in  his  speech  ladies  and  gentlemen 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  203 

I  close  with  the  words  of  Holmes  one  flag  one  land  one  heart 
one  hand  one  nation  evermore. 

6.  Coleridge  divided  readers  into  four  classes  the  first 
is  like  an  hour-glass  their  reading  runs  in  and  runs  out  and 
leaves  not  a  vestige  behind  the  second  resembles  a  sponge  it 
imbibes  everything  the  third  like  a  jelly  bag  a^llows  all  that 
is  pure  to  pass  away  and  the  fourth  casting  aside  what  is 
worthless  like  the  diamond  diggers  of  Africa  preserve  only 
the  pure  gem. 

7.  Let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  three  following 
states  Maine  the  most  northern  Florida  the  most  southern 
and  California  the  most  western. 

8.  Captain  I  vow  your  manners  are  worthy  of  a  French- 
man said  my  Lord  and  yet  I  am  given  to  understand  you  are 
a  Scotchman  a  shadow  crossed  the  captain's  face  I  was  sir 
he  said  you  were  exclaimed  Comyn  astonished  and  pray 
what  are  you  now  sir  henceforth  my  Lord  John  Paul  re- 
plied with  vast  ceremony  I  am  an  American  the  com- 
patriot of  the  beautiful  Miss  Manners  one  thing  I'll  warrant 
captain  said  his  Lordship  that  you  are  a  wit  Winston  Church- 
ill: Richard  Carvel 

9.  Compare  the  following  sentences  he  reads  distinctly 
does  he  read  distinctly  read  distinctly  how  distinctly  he 
reads  the  speaker  expresses  his  thought  differently  in  each 
of  these  sentences  in  the  first  sentence  he  expresses  his 
thought  as  an  assertion  or  statement  in  the  second  as  a 
question  in  the  third  as  a  command  or  entreaty  in  the  fourth 
as  an  exclamation — Our  Language, 

ID.  The  great  test  question  can  I  after  this  proposed 
transaction  after  the  carrying  out  of  this  thought  of  plan 
this  projected  course  respect  myself  as  much  as  before 
would  doubtless  save  many  self-abasements  and  check 
many  a  character  wrecking  scheme  it  is  surely  a  question 


204  ROSS*S    BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

which  it  would  often  pay  to  ask  for  self-respect  is  the  great 
bed  rock  of  real  happiness. 


THIRTEENTH   LESSON 


THE  HYPHEN 


SYLLABICATION 

The  hyphen  is  used  to  divide  a  word  at  the  end  of  a  line. 
This  division  should  be  made  at  the  end  of  a  syllable ;  as, 
re-main,  remain-ing,  in-cumbrance,  incum-brance. 

NOTE, — ^The  division  of  words  is  determined  by  the 
pronunciation  syllable  rather  than  the  etymological  sylla- 
ble ;  as,  the-ology,  not  theo-logy ;  antith-esis,  not  anti- 
thesis. 

2.  When  a  consonant  is  doubled,  the  division  should 
be  made  between  the  two  double  letters ;  as  ship-ping,  oc- 
cur-rence,  dis-mis-sing,  bid-ding. 

3.  Carrying  the  final  syllable  ed  to  the  next  line  should 
be  avoided.  This  can  usually  be  done,  as  it  requires  but 
one  more  space  to  finish  the  word  than  to  use  the  hyphen 
and  carry  ed  to  the  next  line. 

4.  Words  of  one  syllable  should  not  be  divided ;  as, 
timed,  bored,  cared,  blank,  bring. 

5.  A  word  should  never  be  divided  after  a  first  syllable 
consisting  of  a  single  letter ;  as,  about,  above,  atone,  arouse, 
abuse,  elude,  evade. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  13 


205 


Divide  the  following  words : 


confident 

assurance 

adopt 

purchase 

allowance 

children 

therefore 

regretted 

mailed 

permission 

dissyllable 

parallel 

considerable 

occasion 

adept 

elite 

awake 

emission 

colonel 

grammar 

stenographer 

necessarily 

satisfactorily 

satisfactory 

allege 

believe 

believed 

reached 

famed 

shipped 

206  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


COMPOUND  WORDS 

There  is  still  great  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  manner  of 
writing  compound  words.  The  modern  tendency  is  to  use 
fewer  hyphens.  A  good  unabridged  dictionary  should  be 
consulted  in  doubtful  cases. 

As  a  general  rule,  words  are  written  separate  when  they 
are  used  in  regular  grammatical  relation.  A  difference  in 
meaning  is  shown  by  the  use  of  the  hyphen.  Compare  the 
following  sentences : 

1.  That    is    evidently    a  I.     The    widow    Simpson 
poor  farm.                                     has  been  sent  to  the  poor- 
farm. 

2.  The  red  coat  is  hang-  2.  The  red-coat  hirelings 
ing  on  the  wall.                             began  to  run. 

.  3.  People  who  live  in  3.  Many  of  the  glass- 
glass  houses  should  never  houses  have  been  compelled 
throw  stones.  to  close  since  the  beginning 

of  the  great  war. 

4.     Judge  Harvey  has  is-  4.     I  found  farmer  Brown 

sued  a  restraining  order  in  re-straining  the  milk, 
this  case. 

The  following  rules  represent  general  usage : 

1.  Ex  and  vice  denoting  a  title  should  be  followed  by 
a  hyphen ;    as,  ex-mayor,  vice-president. 

2.  Step  and  great  denoting  relationship  should  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  hyphen  ;  as,  step-son,  great-uncle. 

3.  Rate  and  hand  joined  to  a  number  should  be  pre- 
ceded by  a  hyphen ;   as,  first-rate,  second-hand. 

4.  The  parts  of  compound  adjectives,  also  compound 
numerals,  should  be  separated  by  hyphens.     (See  Exercise 

16.) 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Exercise  14 

Be  prepared  to  spell  the  following  words : 


207 


all  right 

anyhow 

anywhere 

blue-print 

clearing-house 

custom-house 

every  one 

expressman 

hereinafter 

hitherto 

lawsuit 

life-interest 

money-broker 

outgoing 

over-confident 

over-production 

parcel-post 

postage-stamp 

postman 

quarter-section 

show-card 

somebody 

sometimes 

stock-room 

therefore 

therewith 

traffic-manager 

underbid 

upbuild 

whereabouts 

wherefore 


alread}^ 

any  one 

bank-book 

bondholder 

copy-book 

everybody 

everything 

facsimile 

hereupon 

ink-bottle 

letter-head 

lumber-car 

nobody 

overbid 

overpay 

over-purchase 

pasteboard 

postal  card 

postmaster 

quitclaim 

sidewalk 

somehow 

stockman 

stock-taking 

thereto 

timekeeper 

typewritten 

undercharge 

vice-president 

whereas 

whereof 


anybody 

anything 

bank-note 

box  car 

cross-section 

every-day 

everywhere 

headquarters 

herewith 

juryman 

life-insurance 

mail-box 

one's  self 

overcharge 

over-produce 

overwork 

pig  iron 

post-card 

price-list 

shirtwaist 

soda-biscuit 

something 

stock-market 

therefor 

thereupon 

time-table 

typewriter 

underestimate 

water-mark  (noun) 

watermark  (verb) 

workshop 


208  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


LETTER  WRITING 

Perhaps  ninety  percent  of  the  world's  business  is  done  by 
correspondence.  This  fact  alone  justifies  the  statement 
that  a  knowledge  of  letter  writing  is  not  only  desirable,  but 
absolutely  essential  to  those  who  would  attain  the  highest 
degree  of  success  in  a  business  career.  Such  a  knowledge 
fits  one  for  the  more  responsible  positions,  and  the  richest 
rewards  come  to  those  having  the  greatest  capacity  for 
assuming  responsibility. 

To  be  a  competent  correspondent  one  must  have  a  good 
English  education,  a  good  general  knowledge  of  the  every- 
day affairs  of  life,  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject- 
matter  of  the  letters  he  has  to  write.  Not  one  of  these  is  a 
"natural  gift"  with  which  people  are  born.  All  of  them 
can  be  acquired  by  the  student  who  does  not  already  possess 
them.  It  is  true  that  after  pursuing  the  same  course  of  study, 
no  two  students  of  a  class  will  possess  the  same  degree  of 
ability;  but  the  fact  remains  that  anyone  of  ordinary 
intelligence  can  become  at  least  a  passably  good  correspond- 
ent. There  is  one  feature  of  letter  writing  upon  which  all 
can  become  thoroughly  proficient.  That  is  the  mechanical 
arrangement,  the  proper  form  of  the  letter.  It  is  this  that 
carries  the  first  impression  to  the  recipient  of  your  letter. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  2O9 

FIRST   LESSON 


The  Paper 

The  size  of  the  paper  most  widely  used  for  business  letters 
is  about  83^  by  11  inches.  The  quality  and  color  vary,  but 
good  taste  seems  to  call  for  white  unruled,  with  a  surface 
sufficiently  smooth  to  prevent  ink  from  blurring. 

It  is  customary  among  business  men  to  use  printed  sta- 
tionery containing  all  the  information  called  for  in  the  head- 
ing of  a  letter,  except  the  date. 

These  printed  sheets  are  called  letter-heads.  If  a  letter 
contains  more  than  one  sheet,  plain  paper,  usually  called 
second  sheets,  is  used  for  the  second  and  subsequent  sheets. 

Only  one  side  of  the  sheet  is  used. 


Parts  of  a  Letter 

There  are  six  parts  of  a  letter  :  The  heading,  the  address, 
the  salutation,  the  body,  the  complimentary  close,  the 
signature. 

The  Heading 

The  heading  of  a  letter  contains  the  address  of  the  writer 
and  the  date  when  the  letter  is  written.  It  is  placed  on  the 
upper  right-hand  part  of  the  first  page.  It  should  be  placed 
so  as  to  extend  approximately  to  the  right-hand  margin 
of  the  letter. 

The  heading  may  occupy  one,  two,  or  three  lines,  the 
choice  being  decided  by  length  and  appearance. 

The  date,  containing  the  month,  the  day  of  the  month, 


2IO  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

and  the  year,  is  always  on  the  last  line.  Th,  st,  d,  are  not 
used  in  the  heading  after  the  day  of  the  month.  Write 
Aug.  30,  1914.  The  year  should  be  written  in  full,  1914, 
rather  than  '14,  or,  /14. 

The  different  parts  of  the  heading  should  be  written  so 
as  to  bring  the  most  local  or  smallest  division  first,  then  the 
next  larger,  and  so  on,  making  the  state  the  last  item  before 
the  date.  For  instance,  a  postoffice  box  number,  the  name 
of  a  building,  or  a  street  and  number  should  come  before 
the  city  ;  the  city,  before  the  county ;  the  county,  before 
the  state. 

The  different  parts  or  divisions  of  the  heading  are  sepa- 
rated from  one  another  by  commas.  There  is  no  punctua- 
tion mark  between  the  month  and  the  day.  Not  May,  30, 
but  May  30,  1914. 

A  period  is  used  after  every  abbreviation.  When  any 
abbreviation  comes  at  the  end  of  a  part  it  is,  of  course, 
followed  by  a  period  and  a  comma ;  as.  Wheeling,  W.  Va., 
Aug.  30,  1914.    Names  of  cities  should  never  be  abbreviated. 

The  months  May,  June,  and  July  are  spelled  out.  The 
other  months  are  abbreviated  as  follows  :  Jan.,  Feb.,  Mar., 
Apr.,  Aug.,  Sep.  or  Sept.,  Oct.,  Nov.,  Dec. 

With  the  exception  of  "the"  and  "of"  in  such  names  as. 
Office  of  the  President,  every  word  in  the  heading  is  cap- 
italized. 

Study  the  following  models  before  preparing  the  exercise: 


One-Line  Headings 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Aug.  30,  19 14. 
Metz,  W.  Va.,  May  i,  1914. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  211 

Two-Line  Headings 

813  Main  St., 

Scranton,  Pa.,  Aug.  30,  1914. 

Elliott  School, 

Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  June  i,  1914. 


Three-Line  Headings 

Room  121  McLure  Hotel, 
1202  Market  St., 

Chicago,  111.,  May  I,  1914. 

Office  of  Portland  Gas  Co., 
141 3  Chapline  St., 

Portland,  Ore.,  April  i,  1914. 

Buffalo  City  Hospital, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y., 

June  15,  1914. 

Exercise 

Arrange  the  following  facts  properly  in  headings.  Use 
a  separate  sheet  for  each.  After  your  work  has  been  exam- 
ined, copy  any  that  are  incorrect,  and  keep  these  sheets 
for  use  in  the  next  lesson : 

1.  Pittsburgh  July  I  1914  315  smithfield  street  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

2.  Westminster  street  bannigan  building  may  24  rhode 
island  providence 


212  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

3.  wheeling    west    Virginia    September    i     1914    11 23 
hawley  building 

4.  Charleston  west  Virginia  citizens  national  bank  July 

15  1914 

5.  may  2  19 14  Cumberland  maryland 

6.  boston    massachusetts    January    4    1914    46    colby 
avenue 

7.  december    3    19 14    California    san    francisco    palace 
hotel  room  346 

8.  london  england  may  3  19 14  number  29  strand 

9.  1907  September  4  michigan  battle  creek  post  sani- 
tarium 

10.     Your  home  address,  dated  today. 

SECOND    LESSON 

The  Address 

The  address  is  made  up  of  two  parts  :  The  name  and  title, 
and  the  postofhce  address  of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter 
is  to  be  sent. 

Titles 

It  is  sometimes  argued  that  the  time  required  to  write 
titles  should  be  saved ;  nevertheless,  courtesy  demands 
that  some  title  be  used  with  every  name,  and  it  is  the  author's 
opinion,  based  upon  observation,  that  the  majority  of 
business  houses  use  them. 

The  common  titles  of  courtesy  preceding  a  name  are  : 
Miss,  Mr.,  Mrs.,  Messrs.,  Dr.,  Honorable,  Reverend,  Pro- 
fessor. 

Miss  is  considered  as  a  complete  word  and  is  not  followed 
by  a  period.     It  is  the  title  of  an  unmarried  woman. 


^13 

Mrs.  is  an  abbreviation  of  Mistress.  It  is  the  title  of  a 
married  woman  ;    as,  Mrs.  John  N.  Lane. 

A  widow,  by  custom,  assumes  her  own  name  ;  as,  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Lane.     Legally  her  name  remains  unchanged. 

Messrs.  is  the  abbreviation  for  the  French  Messieurs, 
meaning  gentlemen.  It  is  used  as  the  plural  of  Mr.  It  is 
used  only  as  a  title,  never  as  a  salutation.  It  should  not 
be  used  when  "the"  may  be  placed  before  the  name.  Messrs. 
A.  B.  Shuck  and  Company,  but,  (The)  A.  B.  Shuck  Realty 
Company. 

Esq.  is  the  abbreviation  for  Esquire.  It  is  placed  after 
a  name  and  separated  from  it  by  a  comma.  Usage  has 
made  it  almost  synonymous  with  Mr.,  but  good  authority 
reserves  it  for  those  engaged  in  legal  or  administrative 
work.  Mr.  and  Esq.  should  never  be  used  at  the  same 
time.  Write  either  John  B.  Wilson,  Esq.,  or,  Mr.  John  B. 
Wilson. 

Mmes.  is  the  abbreviation  for  Mesdames.  The  title  of 
a  firm  the  members  of  which  are  women  ;  as,  Mmes.  Wil- 
liams and  Sherman. 

Reverend  is  the  title  of  a  clergyman.  It  should  not  be 
abbreviated,  and  it  should  be  preceded  by  "the."  The 
best  form  is.  The  Reverend  William  Lane.  If  you  do  not 
know  the  clergyman's  first  name,  write  it,  The  Reverend 
Mr.  Lane.    Don't  write  Rev.  Lane,  or.  The  Reverend  Lane. 

Honorable  is  a  title  applied  to  men  who  hold  or  have 
held  important  positions  in  the  state,  national,  or  city 
government ;  as,  governors,  legislators,  senators,  congress- 
men, mayors,  etc. 

Professor  is  the  title  of  those  who  hold  professorships 
in  colleges  or  universities. 

NOTE.  The  following  list  of  abbreviations  of  titles 
commonly  used  after  names  in  addresses  should  be  dictated 
by  the  teacher : 


214  ROSS*S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


LL.  D. 

Doctor  of  Laws 

LL.  B. 

Bachelor  of  Laws 

M.  A. 

Master  of  Arts 

M.S. 

Master  of  Science 

B.  S. 

Bachelor  of  Science 

B.A. 

Bachelor  of  Arts 

D.  D.  S. 

Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery 

D.  D. 

Doctor  of  Divinity 

C.  E. 

Civil  Engineer 

M.  C. 

Member  of  Congress 

Dist.  Atty. 

District  Attorney 

D.  Litt. 

Doctor  of  Literature 

D.  V.  S. 

Veterinary  Surgeon 

M.  D. 

Doctor  of  Medicine 

LL.  M. 

Master  of  Laws 

Arrangement  of  Address 

The  address  usually  is  written  on  two  lines,  but  may 
occupy  as  many  as  good  taste  directs.  The  first  line  contains 
the  name  and  title.  It  should  begin  at  the  left-hand  margin, 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  from  the  edge  of  the  paper. 
Precise  direction  can  not  be  given  for  placing  the  second 
line.  Ordinarily,  it  should  begin  far  enough  to  the  right  of 
the  beginning  of  the  first  line  to  bring  the  middle  of  the 
second  line  under  the  close  of  the  first  line.  However,  when 
either  line  is  of  unusual  length  this  should  be  varied  so  as 
to  give  the  address  a  balanced  and  artistic    appearance. 

Carefully  observe  the  following  addresses  before  preparing 
the  exercise  : 

Mr.  William  Clemens, 

San  Francisco,  Cal. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  2X5 

Mr.  L.  E.  Smith,  Secretary, 

Star  Manufacturing  Co., 

Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

C.  F.  Metz,  Esq., 

Dill,  W.  Va. 

John  F.  Ash  ton,  Esq., 

State  Tax  Commissioner, 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

Miss  Agnes  Gough, 

1463  Market  St., 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

The  International  Book  Co., 

Boston,  Mass. 


Titles  of  Address  and  Salutations 

In  addressing  communications  to  departments  of  the 
Government,  address  the  office  rather  than  the  individual  : 

The  President  :  To  the  President,  Washington,  D.  C, 
Sir  :  or,  Mr.  President :  The  President  is  the  only  official 
whose  name  may  be  omitted  in  the  address. 

The  Vice-President  :  To  the  Hon.  Thomas  R.  Mar- 
shall, Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  Washington, 
D.  C,  Sir : 

A  Cabinet  Officer  ;  To  the  Hon.  William  Jennings 
Bryan,  Secretary  of  State,  Washington,  D.  C,  Sir  : 

A  United  States  Senator  :  Hon.  John  W.  Daniel, 
U.  S.  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C,  Senator  :  (My  dear  Sen- 
ator: if  the  writer  is  an  acquaintance.) 


2l6  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

A  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court:  Mr.  Chief  Justice 
White:  United  States  Supreme  Court,  Washington,  D.  C, 
Sir: 

A  Congressman  :  Hon.  Robert  B.  Macon,  House  of 
Representatives,  Washington,  D.  C,  Sir  : 

A  Governor  :  To  His  Excellency  H.  D.  Hatfield,  Gov- 
ernor of  West  Virginia,  Charleston,  W.  Va.,  Sir :  or,  Gov- 
ernor : 

Army  and  Navy 

A  General  :  Maj.  Gen.  J.  Franklin  Bell,  Fort  Meyer, 
Va.,  General  : 

A  Minor  Commissioned  Officer  :  Maj.  John  T.  Knight, 
The  War  Department,  Washington,  D.  C,  Major  : 

(Give  the  rank  in  the  salutation  to  any  officer  of  the 
army  or  the  navy  above  the  rank  of  lieutenant  \  Sir:  is  the 
proper  salutation  for  a  lieutenant  or  noncommissioned 
officer.) 

A  Rear  Admiral  :  Admiral  George  Dewey,  Navy  De- 
partment, Washington,  D.  C,  Rear  Admiral : 

A  Commander  :  Commander  Henry  B.  Wilson,  Bureau 
of  Navigation,  Washington,  D.  C,  Commander : 


Clergy — ^Protestant 

A  Bishop  (other  than  a  Methodist)  :  To  the  Right  Rev- 
erend S.  W.  Funsten,  Bishop  of  Idaho,  Boise,  Idaho,  Right 
Reverend  Sir  : 

A  Methodist  Bishop,  a  Clergyman,  or  Rector  : 
Reverend  Pembroke  W.  Reed,  Rector  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Reverend  Sir :  or,  Reverend  and 
Dear  Sir ; 


217 

Clergy — ^Roman  Catholic 

A  Cardinal  Bishop  :  To  His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Gib- 
bons, The  Cathedral,  408  N.  Charles  St.,  Baltimore,  Md., 
Most  Eminent  and  Reverend  Sir : 

An  Archbishop  :  Most  Reverend  James  Edward  Quigley, 
Archbishop  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  Illinois,  Most  Reverend 
Sir: 

A  Bishop  :  Right  Reverend  Edward  O'Dea,  Seattle, 
Washington,  Right  Reverend  Sir : 

A  Female  Superior  of  Order  :  Reverend  Mother 
Gervase,  1708  Summer  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Reverend 
Madam  :  or.  Reverend  Mother : 

A  Female  Member  of  a  Religious  Order  :  Sister  M. 
Jeanette,  Dominican  Convent,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  Reverend 
Sister  : 

Priest  :  Reverend  G.  W.  Corrigan,  M.  R.,  St.  Joseph's 
Church,  Newark,  N.  J.,  Reverend  Sir : 

Exercise 

On  the  sheets  prepared  in  Lesson  One,  properly  arrange 
the  following  facts  as  addresses  : 

1.  29  beacon  street  boston  ginn  and  company  mass 

2.  the  national  cloak  and  suit  company  new  york  204 
west  24th  street 

3.  mary  m  pritchard  new  london  new  hampshire 

4.  66  meeting  st  providence  rhode  island  george  nichols 
esquire 

5.  h.    f.    smithkins   superintendent  of  schools  denver 
Colorado 

6.  thomas  pearce  614  main  street  lonaconing  mary  land 


2l8  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

7.  ah  smith  director  general  electric  company  Schenec- 
tady new  york 

8.  george  t  white  (clergyman)  412  high  street  columbus 
ohio 

9.  andrew    Jacobs     (state    senator)     Charleston    west 
Virginia 

10.  Your  state  governor. 

11.  A  United  States  senator. 

12.  A  congressman. 


THIRD   LESSON 


The  Salutation 

The  salutation  is  placed  below  the  address,  and  is  begun 
at  the  left-hand  margin  of  the  letter. 

Edward  E.  Brooks,  Esq., 

Minneapolis,  Minn. 
Dear  Sir : 

The  following  are  the  forms  of  salutation  used  in  business 
letters  :  Dear  Sir  :  Gentlemen  :  Dear  Madam  :  Ladies  : 
My  dear  Sir  :  Sir  :  Dear  Sirs  : 

Gentlemen  :  is  preferable  to  Dear  Sirs : 

Sir  :  is  more  formal  than  Dear  Sir :  and  My  dear  Sir  : 
indicates  a  greater  degree  of  intimacy  than  either.  This, 
of  course,  applies  also  to  Madam  :  Dear  Madam  :  and  My 
dear  Madam  :  Dear  Madam  :  is  the  proper  salutation  for 
a  woman,  married  or  unmarried. 

Ladies :  is  used  in  addressing  a  firm  composed  of  women. 
Mesdames  :  is  also  permissible. 

Messrs.  is  never  used  as  a  salutation. 

The  choice  of  salutation  is  governed  by  relations  existing 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  219 

between  the  writer  and  the  person  addressed.  The  forms 
given  above  are  conventional,  and  convey  no  personal 
regard.  Where  personal  friendship  exists,  usage  sanctions 
Dear  Mr.  Jones  :  or.  Dear  Jones  :  Before  employing  such 
forms,  however,  a  writer  should  feel  assured  that  his  ac- 
quaintanceship justifies  their  use. 

The  first  word  and  all  nouns  in  a  salutation  should  be 
capitalized  ;  as.  Dear  Sir :  My  dear  Sir  :  Dear  Brother  : 
My  dear  Friend  : 

The  colon  is  the  mark  most  widely  used  after  the  saluta- 
tion of  a  business  letter : 

Mr.  W.  C.  Stonebraker, 
San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Dear  Sir : 

Mmes.  Atkins  &  Hartley, 

Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Ladies : 

Messrs.  A.  L.  Brand  &  Co., 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Gentlemen  : 

Social  Form 

In  social  and  official  correspondence  the  name  and  address 
of  the  person  written  to  are  placed  at  the  end  of  the  letter. 
This  form  is  more  suitable  also  for  letters  written  by  pro- 
fessional and  business  men,  where  the  relations  existing 
between  them  are  sufficiently  intimate  to  justify  the  use  of 
the  name  in  the  salutation  : 


220  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Dear  Mr.  Bacon  : 

I  have  just  completed  the  manuscript,  and  in  accordance 
with  your  suggestion,  I  will  come  to  Cincinnati  next  Satur- 
day to  go  over  it  with  the  printer.  Kindly  make  an  appoint- 
ment for  me. 

Very  truly  yours, 

John  L.  Green. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Bacon, 

222  Main  St.,  Chicago. 


Exercise 

Supply  proper  salutations  for  the  addresses  in  Second 
Lesson,  also  for  the  following  : 

1.  A  business  man  who  is  an  intimate  friend. 

2.  An  unmarried  lady  with  whom  you  are  unacquainted. 

3.  A  millinery  firm  the  members  of  which  are  ladies. 

4.  A  department  store. 


FOURTH  LESSON 


The  Body 

The  body  of  the  letter,  the  communication  itself,  immedi- 
ately follows  the  salutation. 

Usage  is  not  altogether  uniform  as  to  where  the  first  line 
should  begin.  The  practice  in  widest  use,  however,  is  to 
begin  it  on  the  line  below  the  salutation. 

As  to  the  indention  of  the  first  line,  the  following  three 
forms  have  the  widest  use  : 

I.     Begin  the  first  line  about  one  inch  from  the  left-hand 


221 


margin  of  the  letter,  on  the  line  below  the  salutation,  and 
indent  succeeding  paragraphs  to  correspond  : 
Gentlemen  : 

We  are  in  receipt  of  yours  of  the  15th  inst.,  relative 
to,  etc. 

Will  you  be  in  the  market  this  year  for  Kansas  coals? 

2.  Begin  the  first  line  on  the  first  line  below  and  approx- 
imately under  the  punctuation  of  the  salutation,  and  indent 
succeeding  paragraphs  to  correspond  : 

Gentlemen  : 

We  are  in  receipt  of  yours,  etc. 
Will  you  be  in  the,  etc. 

3.  Begin  the  first  line  as  in  2,  but  indent  succeeding 
paragraphs  about  one  inch,  as  in  I,  without  reference  to  the 
indention  of  the  first  line  : 

Gentlemen  : 

We  are  in  receipt  of  yours  of  the  15th  inst.,  etc. 
Will  you  be  in  the  market  this  year,  etc. 

Of  these  three  forms  the  first  is  used  most  widely.  It  is 
the  one  used  in  the  model  letters  in  this  book  and  recom- 
mended by  the  author. 

Still  another  form  that  is  being  used  by  many  business 
houses  at  this  time,  is  to  begin  the  first  line  and  all  succeed- 
ing paragraphs  as  well  as  the  name,  address,  and  the  com- 
plimentary close,  at  the  left-hand  margin: 

Mr.  James  Brown, 

Dallas,  Texas. 

Dear  Sir: 

Yours  of  the  2d  at  hand.    We  will  name  you  the  nut  coal 

at  $3.25  and  the  lump  at  $3.50. 

Hoping  to  receive  your  order,  we  are. 

Yours  truly, 


222  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Margins  and  Spacing 

The  left-hand  margin  of  a  letter  should  be  straight.  The 
right-hand  margin  can  not  be  made  exactly  straight  without 
waste  of  time  ;  but  the  exercise  of  a  little  care  and  good 
judgment  in  dividing  words  at  the  end  of  a  line  will  prevent 
the  page  from  having  a  ragged  appearance. 

In  pen-written  letters  the  left-hand  margin  should  ordi- 
narily be  about  one-half  inch  ;  the  right-hand  margin  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch.  In  typewritten  letters,  the  right-hand 
margin  should  be  about  the  same  as  the  left-hand. 

When  the  letter  is  very  short  the  margins  should  be  in- 
creased and  the  letter  placed  far  enough  from  the  top  of  the 
page  to  allow  it  to  occupy  the  middle  of  the  page. 

In  typewriting,  a  letter  of  average  length,- from  one  hun- 
dred to  one  hundred  and  fifty  words,  may  be  written  on  a 
page,  using  double  spacing,  and  setting  marginal  stops  so 
as  to  make  the  lines  fifty  spaces  in  length.  In  letters  of  from 
two  hundred  to  three  hundred  words,  the  same  length  of 
line  may  be  used;  but  single  spacing,  with  double  spacing 
between  paragraphs,  should  be  used  if  it  is  desired  to  get 
the  letter  on  one  page.  After  a  little  practice  a  stenographer 
should  be  able  to  estimate  very  closely  from  the  space 
occupied  by  his  notes  the  number  of  words  in  a  letter,  and 
to  locate  it  on  a  page  so  as  to  have  an  artistic  and  balanced 
appearance. 

When  a  letter  is  more  than  one  page  In  length,  the  initials 
of  the  person  addressed,  together  with  the  page  number, 
should  be  placed  about  one  inch  from  the  top  of  the  second 
sheet  and  beginning  at  the  left-hand  margin  ;    as, 
Mr.  H.  L.  J.  No.  2 

Unless  the  first  line  on  the  second  page  begins  a  new 
paragraph,  it  should  begin  at  the  left-hand  margin. 

Carrying  a  single  line  to  a  second  page  should  be  avoided. 


ROSSES  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  ^^3 

m 

Paragraphing 

The  general  rule  for  paragraphing  is  to  have  each  separate 
idea  or  subject  occupy  a  separate  paragraph.  For  instance, 
the  president  of  a  school  may  discuss  in  a  letter  to  a  pro- 
spective student :  The  courses  of  study  offered,  the  equip- 
ment of  the  school,  the  demand  for  graduates,  the  amount 
it  will  cost  the  student  to  pursue  a  course  in  the  school. 
How  may  paragraphs  would  be  required  ? 

It  sometimes  happens,  though,  that  a  letter  of  a  page  or 
more  is  about  a  single  subject.  In  this  case,  what  would, 
according  to  the  rule  given  above,  be  one  long  paragraph 
should  be  divided  into  two  or  more.  One  can  usually,  with- 
out much  difficulty,  find  the  logical  point  at  which  to  make 
this  division.  This  division  of  the  long  paragraph  improves 
the  appearance  of  the  page,  and  makes  it  more  inviting  to 
the  eye  of  the  recipient  of  the  letter.  Consideration  for 
the  reader  is  important,  particularly  in  a  sales  letter. 

In  some  large  business  houses  separate  paragraphs  are 
placed  on  separate  sheets. 


Abbreviations 

Such  abbreviations  as  acct.,  amt.,  should  not  be  written 
in  the  body  of  a  letter.  The  name  of  a  state  should  not  be 
abbreviated  except  when  used  as  part  of  an  address :  He 
lives  in  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  but.  He  lives  in  South  Carolina. 
Cities  should  never  be  abbreviated.  Company  should  not 
be  abbreviated  when  standing  alone.  Do  not  write  :  We 
are  indebted  to  this  Co.,  etc.  Spell  it  out.  Brown  &  Co.  or 
Brown  and  Company  is  correct.  The  sign  for  and  may  be 
used  before  Co.,  but  and  should  be  spelled  out  before  Com- 
pany. 


^^4  ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

When  in  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  an  abbreviation, 
spell  it  out. 

Complimentary  Closing 

The  conventional  forms  of  complimentary  close  used  in 
business  letters  are  :  Yours  truly,  Yours  very  truly,  Very 
truly  yours,  Truly  yours. 

The  forms.  Yours  sincerely,  Yours  very  sincerely.  Yours 
most  sincerely,  are  commonly  used  in  social  correspondence. 
They  are  also  used  in  business  letters  when  a  personal  friend- 
ship exists  between  the  correspondents. 

Respectfully,  Yours  respectfully.  Yours  very  respect- 
fully, are  used  when  special  respect  is  intended  or  when 
writing  to  a  high  official. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  salutation,  the  choice  of  compli- 
mentary close  should  be  governed  by  the  relations  between 
the  writer  and  the  person  addressed.  It  should  conform  in 
formality  with  the  salutation.  The  governor  of  a  state 
should  be  addressed  as  Sir.  The  appropriate  complimentary 
close  would  be,  Respectfully. 

The  complimentary  close  is  followed  by  a  comma.  The 
first  word  only  should  begin  with  a  capital  letter. 

It  is  so  placed  on  the  page  that  the  signature  may  extend 
to  the  right-hand  margin  ;   as. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Samuel  Johnson. 

Exercise 

Write  appropriate  complimentary  closes  for  the  following 
salutations : 

1.  Dear  Sir : 

2.  Sir: 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


^^^ 


3.  My  dear  Friend  : 

4.  Dear  Mother : 

5.  Ladies : 

6.  Dear  Mr.  Brown  : 


Folding 

A  business  letter  is  usually  written  on  a  sheet  8  x  lo}/^  or 
83^  XII  inches.  It  should  be  folded  to  suit  the  appropriate 
envelope  and  so  that  it  may  be  most  readily  unfolded  by  the 
reader. 

Following  are  directions  for  folding  for  the  envelope  most 
commonly  used,  known  as  No.  6}/^  (Government  No.  5). 

1.  Place  the  sheet  flat  on  the  desk,  face  up,  bottom 
toward  you. 

2.  Fold  from  the  bottom  toward  the  top,  bringing  the 
lower  edge  to  within  one-half  of  an  inch  of  the  top. 

3.  Fold  from  right  to  left  a  little  more  than  one-third  of 
the  width  of  the  sheet. 

4.  Fold  from  left  to  right  the  remaining  portion. 


Q 

^ 

0 

Hh 

'?! 

C\] 

526  Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

Exercise 

Copy  the  following  letter  in  proper  form,  and  fold.  See 
model  letter  on  page  231 : 

m  dure  hotel  wheeling  west  Virginia  September  7  19 14 
mr  John  armstrong  2315  capitol  street  Charleston  west  Vir- 
ginia dear  sir  we  received  your  telegram  this  morning  asking 
us  to  see  mr  scudder  and  have  him  order  the  city  of  provi- 
dence to  take  out  the  balance  of  the  ash  etc  at  the  mill  we 
did  our  best  to  do  this  but  without  avail  the  only  promise 
that  we  could  get  from  the  boat  people  here  was  that  they 
would  take  it  as  soon  as  possible  and  that  it  was  probable 
they  would  get  it  out  within  a  week  more  than  this  we  could 
not  get  them  to  promise  you  will  have  to  look  out  for  a  boat 
yourself  down  there  and  whenever  one  comes  up  lightly 
loaded  you  may  be  able  to  get  them  to  take  it  otherwise  we 
fear  it  will  drag  along  longer  than  a  week  yours  very  truly 
j  1  dixon 

FIFTH  LESSON 


The  Envelope 

The  direction  on  the  envelope  is  arranged  like  the  address 
of  the  letter.  It  contains  the  same  items,  and  anything  else 
that  will  further  insure  correct  delivery.  The  middle  of  the 
first  line  should  be  a  little  below  the  center  of  the  envelope. 

In  the  lower  left-hand  corner  may  be  placed  such  direc- 
tions as  Personal,  Please  forward,  c/o  Ajax  Co. 

The  writer's  name  and  address  should  be  placed  in  the 
upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  envelope.  This  insures  the 
return  of  the  letter  in  case  of  nondelivery. 


Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  227 


J.  L.  Arn, 

Columbus, 

0. 

Mr 

A. 

L.  Zimmerman, 

309  w. 

Third  St., 
Cincinnati, 

Please  forward. 

Ohio. 

Exercise 

Write  the  following  addresses  on  No.  6}/^  envelopes : 

1.  Mr.  L.  D.  Mason,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

2.  A.  L.  Brown,  Esq.,  Baltimore,  Md. 

3.  Messrs.  Boyd  &  Co.,  222  Main  St.,  Omaha,  Neb. 

4.  Mr.   D.   C.  Taylor,   c/o  University   Publishing  Co., 
309  W.  Third  St.,  Denver,  Colo. 

5.  Mr.  John  Findlay,  Consumers'  Coal  Co.,  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.,  Please  forward. 

6.  Mr.  Thomas  Bain,  Woodsfield,  Minn.,  R.  D.  No.  2. 


228  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

SIXTH  LESSON 


Composition  of  the  Business  Letter 

The  term  "Business  English"  seems  to  be  very  much 
misunderstood.  SpeciaHsts  in  EngHsh  have  often  asked, 
vsometimes  seriously,  sometimes  derisively,  "What  is  Busi- 
ness English?"  Others  have  assumed  a  more  pedantic 
attitude  and  flatly  declared  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
"Business  English" — that  English  is  English. 

The  fact  remains,  however,  that  there  is  a  difference 
between  business  composition  and  literary  composition. 
There  are  four  qualities  of  style :  Correctness,  clearness, 
force,  and  beauty.  Correctness  and  clearness  are,  of  course, 
necessary  in  all  composition,  and  the  quality  of  force  is  par- 
ticularly desirable  in  business  composition.  Fine  passages 
and  musical  phrases,  however,  are  few  in  business  writing. 
Of  the  four  qualities  of  style,  the  least  is  made  of  beauty. 
Beauty,  from  the  business  writer's  viewpoint,  is  the  effective 
union  of  correctness,  clearness,  and  force ;  and  these  qual- 
ities should  be  earnestly  striven  for  by  those  who  would 
become  good  letter  writers. 


Letters  of  Application 

All  that  has  been  said  respecting  quality,  color,  and  size 
of  paper  and  envelopes,  the  mechanical  arrangement,  etc., 
should  receive  the  most  careful  attention  in  a  letter  of  appli- 
cation. 

As  to  composition,  you  should  write  frankly  and  clearly. 
Avoid  negative  statements.  Say  nothing  that  would  in  the 
least  suggest  doubt  or  uncertainty  as  to  your  ability  to  do 


229 

the  work  you  are  asking  for.  Do  this,  however,  without 
boasting,  which  would  be  at  least  as  damaging  to  your 
chances  for  favorable  consideration  as  self -depreciation. 

State  fully  your  preparation  for  doing  the  work.  This 
includes  the  school  or  schools  you  have  attended  and  the 
courses  taken  that  have  a  bearing  on  the  work  you  are 
asking  for. 

Give  your  age.  State  whether  you  are  married  or  single, 
unless  you  are  so  young  as  to  be  obviously  single. 

If  you  have  had  experience,  give  it  in  full.  If  you  have 
none,  and  you  have  not  been  asked  to  speak  of  experience, 
say  nothing  about  it.  Instead,  speak  as  strongly  as  you  can 
about  what  you  can  do.  If  your  letter  creates  a  favorable 
impression,  you  will  probably  be  asked  about  your  experi- 
ence. This  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to  write  another 
letter,  frankly  stating  the  facts,  but  at  the  same  time  ex- 
pressing your  confidence  that,  in  view  of  your  thorough 
preparation,  you  can  render  satisfactory  service,  and  asking 
for  a  trial.  This  method  of  procedure  will  give  you  a  chance 
to  be  favorably  considered,  whereas  the  unnecessary  men- 
tion of  your  nonexperience  in  your  first  letter  may  bar  you 
from  any  consideration  whatever. 

References  should  always  be  given.  It  is  well  to  give  a 
former  associate  or  employer  as  reference,  and  to  give  your 
reason  for  leaving  your  present  position.  Do  not  give  a 
person  as  a  reference,  however,  until  you  have  secured  his 
permission.  Always  give  full  names  and  addresses  of  your 
references.  It  Is  obvious  that  your  references  should  be 
persons  who  know  you  and  can  speak  of  your  ability  and 
character. 

If  you  have  letters  of  recommendation,  enclose  copies. 

If  your  letter  is  In  answer  to  an  advertisement  and  you 
are  asked  to  name  salary  you  expect,  say  it  In  plain  figures. 
In  doing  this,  consider  your  ability  and  experience  and  the 


230  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

salary  usually  paid  for  such  service  as  you  are  seeking  to 
render.  If  you  have  not  been  asked  to  name  a  salary,  the 
matter  may  well  be  left  for  discussion  in  a  subsequent 
letter  or  in  a  personal  interview.  The  important  thing  to 
be  accomplished  through  a  letter  of  application  is  favorable 
consideration. 

Study  the  following  letters  of  application  : 

148  1 8th  Street, 
St.  Paul,  Minn., 

Sept.  15,  1914. 
BZ  News, 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 
Dear  Sir  : 

In  answer  to  your  advertisement  in  today's  News,  I 
am  a  graduate  of  the  High  School  and  also  of  Blank  Business 
School,  of  this  city. 

In  addition  to  the  course  usually  given  in  bookkeeping 
and  stenography,  I  have  had  a  very  thorough  course  in  office 
practice,  in  which  the  conditions  of  modern  business  are 
duplicated  as  nearly  as  possible.  I  can  file  letters,  find 
letters  already  filed,  use  the  mimeograph  and  other  dupli- 
cating devices.  I  know  the  nature  of,  and  can  make  out, 
bills  and  statements,  drafts,  checks,  receipts,  invoices, 
telegrams,  cablegrams,  pay  rolls,  etc. 

I  refer  you,  by  permission,  to  Mr.  Strong,  of  the  Blank 
Business  School,  who  can  give  you  information  as  to  my 
character  and  ability. 

I  should  be  glad  to  call  at  yoiir  office  at  your  con- 
venience. 

Yours  very  truly, 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  23 1 

Detroit,  Mich., 
September  15,  1914. 
Union  Publishing  Co., 

Columbus,  Ohio. 
Gentlemen  : 

I  am  a  bookkeeper  and  general  office  man.  I  am  em- 
ployed at  the  present  time,  but  wish  to  secure  a  position 
with  better  opportunities  for  development  and  advancement. 
I  therefore  ask  to  be  considered  an  applicant  for  any  vacancy 
in  your  office  at  present,  or  that  may  occur  in  the  future. 

I  have  a  general  knowledge  of  the  publishing  business, 
having  been  employed  for  five  years  by  The  Acme  Pub- 
lishing Co.,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  as  bookkeeper  and  assist- 
ant general  manager.  I  refer  you  by  permission  to  the 
president  of  that  company,  Mr.  H.  L.  Swisher.  In  addition 
to  this  I  have  had  about  ten  years'  experience  in  general 
office  work. 

I  am  thirty-five  years  of  age  and  married. 

I  will  appreciate  the  favor  of  a  reply  and  an  inter- 
view. 

Yours  very  truly, 


Exercise 

Using  your  own  address  as  heading,  answer  the  following 
advertisements : 

1.  Wanted — Office  assistant,  quick  at  figures,  who  writes 
a  good  hand,  operates  a  typewriter.    Address  J.  W.  Register. 

2.  Wanted — Bookkeeper  and  Stenographer.     State  age, 
experience,  and  salary  expected.     O.  K.  Telegraph. 

3.  Wanted — Stenographer.     Must  be  rapid   shorthand 


232  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

writer  and  machine  operator,  well  educated,  and  understand 
commercial  papers.     M.  C.  Enquirer. 

4.  Write  to  the  Keema  Manufacturing  Company,  Geary, 
Ind.,  applying  for  a  position  as  stenographer.  You  do  not 
know  that  this  company  is  in  need  of  a  stenographer,  but 
you  wish  to  have  your  application  filed  for  the  first  vacancy. 

5.  Write  an  advertisement  for  a  position  as  bookkeeper 
or  stenographer,  stating  briefly  your  age,  qualifications, 
experience,  and  salary  expected. 


SEVENTH  LESSON 


Letters  of  Recommendation 

There  are  two  kinds  of  letters  of  recommendation — per- 
sonal and  general. 

A  personal  letter  of  recommendation  is  addressed  to  some 
person  or  firm  to  whom  the  writer  is  commending  a  candi- 
date for  a  position.  It  may  be  written  either  at  the  request 
of  the  candidate  or  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  from  the  appli- 
cant's prospective  employer.  This  is  the  most  satisfactory 
kind  of  letter,  as  it  does  not  go  through  the  applicant's 
hands  and  may  be  supposed  to  tell  the  truth,  even  though 
all  the  statements  are  not  in  his  favor.  This  method  of 
getting  information  involves  considerable  time,  and  it  is 
therefore  customary  to  have  a  general  letter  of  recommen- 
dation. Such  a  letter  is  generally  addressed.  To  whom  it 
may  concern.  Yours  respectfully,  or.  Respectfully  submit- 
ted is  a  suitable  complimentary  close. 

A  letter  of  recommendation  should  be  definite.  It  should 
state  clearly  who  the  person  recommended  is,  and  what  he 
can  do.    A  single  vague  expression  is  liable  to  create  an 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  233 

unfavorable  impression.  On  the  other  hand,  it  should  not 
be  overdone.  Truly  many  letters  of  recommendation  have 
been  written  that  were  too  good  to  be  true. 

In  making  application  for  a  position,  copies  of  letters  of 
recommendation  are  enclosed.  These  should  be  marked 
*'Copy"  at  the  top  or  the  bottom  of  the  page. 

The  following  is  a  general  letter  of  recommendation  : 

To  Whom  it  may  Concern  : 

This  is  to  certify  that  A.  D.  Sharon,  Principal  of  the 
Business  Practice  Department  of  Blackmore  Institute  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Commercial  Department  of  this  school. 
He  was  also  a  graduate  of  the  Spencer  Academy  when  he 
entered  the  Blackmore  Institute. 

Mr.  Sharon  has  been  an  instructor  in  the  Blackmore 
Institute  for  seven  years.  He  has  also  had  three  years' 
experience  in  a  district  school  and  two  years*  experience  as 
principal  of  a  state  graded  school  of  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Sharon  is  a  man  of  exemplary  habits  and  char- 
acter. His  influence  over  students  is  inspiring  and  uplifting. 
He  has  proven  himself  a  very  efficient  commercial  instructor 
in  the  Blackmore  Institute.  He  is  looking  for  another 
position,  not  because  the  Blackmore  Institute  would  not 
like  to  retain  him,  but  in  order  that  he  may  carry  out  some 
of  his  ideals  that  he  feels  he  can  not  carry  out  here. 

Mr.  Sharon  is  an  excellent  disciplinarian,  very  firm. 
He  is  always  anxious  to  help  his  students.  In  fact,  he  works 
too  hard  for  them.  But  this  is  not  a  fault.  Every  employer 
would  rejoice  in  having  an  instructor  of  this  type.  Mr. 
Sharon  is  worthy  of  a  most  excellent  position.  He  will  do 
whatever  he  promises  to  do.  The  employer  that  secures 
his  services  is  to  be  congratulated. 

Very  respectfully. 


234  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  following  is  a  personal  letter  of  recommendation  : 

Dear  Sir  : 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  say  in  reply  to  your  inquiry  in 
regard  to  Miss  Blanche  Button,  that  she  was  in  my  employ 
as  stenographer  more  than  a  year  and  during  that  time 
rendered  entirely  satisfactory  service.  Radical  changes  in 
my  business  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  dispense  with  Miss 
Dutton's  services,  much  to  my  regret. 

Let  me  assure  you  that  she  is  not  an  ordinary  machine 
stenographer,  but  a  young  lady  of  initiative  and  capacity 
for  assuming  responsibility.  If  you  decide  to  employ  her, 
you  will  never  regret  it ;    in  fact,  you  are  to  be  congratualted. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Exercise 

1 .  Write  a  general  letter  of  recommendation  for  a  school- 
mate who  wishes  to  secure  a  position  as  a  bookkeeper.  Let 
your  letter  state  that  he  is  thoroughly  qualified,  and  that 
your  acquaintance  justifies  your  speaking  in  the  highest 
terms  regarding  his  character. 

2.  Write  a  letter  to  Mr.  A.  N.  Bruce,  Westernport,  Md., 
who  has  written  you  inquiring  as  to  the  fitness  of  Joseph 
Blackburn  to  fill  a  position  as  shipping  clerk.  You  know 
Mr.  Blackburn  to  be  a  good,  honest,  industrious  young  man,' 
but  you  feel  that  his  training  and  experience  have  not  been 
such  as  to  enable  him  to  fill  this  position. 

3.  Miss  Jennie  Herman  has  asked  you  to  write  in  her 
behalf  to  Mr.  John  H.  Leonard,  to  whom  she  is  applying 
for  a  position  as  stenographer.  You  have  been  associated 
with  Miss  Herman  in  business  and  are  confident  she  is  com- 
petent to  fill  the  position. 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  235 

EIGHTH  LESSON 


Letters  of  Introduction 

A  letter  of  introduction  is  used  to  introduce  two  of  your 
acquaintances  to  each  other.  It  carries  business  and  social 
obligations,  and  should  not  therefore  be  asked  for  or  given 
carelessly.  It  should  be  short,  simply  stating  the  reason 
for  the  introduction.     It  is  left  unsealed  and  given  to  the 

person  introduced.    The  words  "Introducing  Mr " 

are  written  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  envelope. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  a  letter  of  introduction  : 

Cumberland,  Md.,  Sept.  17,  1914. 
Mr.  A.  L.  Caskey, 
Guthrie,  Okla. 
Dear  Mr.  Caskey  : 

This  will  introduce  to  you  my  young  friend,  Mr.  Frank 
Reefer,  who  wishes  to  secure  a  position  and  make  his  future 
home  in  your  city.  Mr.  Reefer  is  a  young  man  of  excellent 
character  and  is  an  expert  stenographer. 

Any  assistance  you  may  feel  inclined  to  give  Mr. 
Reefer  will  be  highly  appreciated  by  him,  and  will  be  consid- 
ered a  personal  favor  to. 

Yours  very  truly, 

J.  R.  Mathews. 

Exercise 

1.  Write  a  letter  introducing  a  fellow  student  who  has 
just  completed  his  course  and  is  desirous  of  securing  a 
position,  to  some  business  man  whom  you  know. 

2.  Write  a  letter  introducing  a  friend  who  is  changing 
his  place  of  residence  on  account  of  ill  health. 


236  Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

NINTH  LESSON 


Letters  of  Inquiry  and  Reply 

A  letter  of  inquiry  should  be  definite.  State  clearly  just 
what  you  want  to  know,  omitting  no  details  that  will  assist 
your  correspondent  in  giving  a  satisfactory  reply. 

A  reply  should  be  written  with  the  'same  regard  for  detail 
and  clearness : 

Wichita,  Kan., 

Sept.  17,  1914- 
Mr.  W.  B.  Endicott,  Pres., 
Endicott  Business  School, 
Chicago,  111. 
Dear  Sir: 

I  am  a  public  school  teacher  of  five  years'  experience. 
I  am  considering  abandoning  this  work  at  the  close  of  this 
year  and  preparing  myself  for  teaching  commercial  branches 
or  doing  office  work.  Which  field  would  offer  greater  oppor- 
tunities? Is  there  any  work  that  I  could  do  between  now 
and  the  close  of  my  school  ?  About  how  long  does  it  require 
to  complete  the  full  course  ?    What  is  the  estimated  cost  ? 

Yours  very  truly. 

Miss  Winifred  French. 
(Supply  heading  and  date.) 

Miss  Winifred  French, 

Garden  City,  Kan. 
Dear  Madam : 

Both  commercial  teaching  and  office  work  offer  splendid 
opportunities  for  persons  of  your  education  and  experience. 
Your  choice  should  be  determined  by  your  preference  of 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  237 

work.  If  you  are  a  successful  teacher,  it  would  seem  to 
us  the  logical  step  for  you  to  specialize  in  commercial 
branches. 

We  offer  thorough  correspondence  courses  in  most  of 
the  subjects  taught  in  our  school.  It  would  be  well  for  you 
to  take  up  one  of  these,  thus  reducing  the  time  and  expense 
of  attending  school. 

A  person  of  your  education  should  be  able  to  complete 
our  course  in  from  twelve  to  fifteen  months. 

We  are  mailing  you  a  catalog  in  which  you  will  find 
tuition  rates,  cost  of  boarding,  etc. 

We  shall  be  pleased  to  furnish  any  further  information 
desired,  and  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  enrolling  you. 

Yours  very  truly, 

W.  B.  Endicott. 

Exercise 

A  friend  has  written  you  inquiring  about  the  school  you 
are  attending.  Write  him  telling  when  the  next  term 
begins.  Tell  him  something  about  the  school — ^what  hours 
in  session,  general  policy  and  regulations,  the  location  and 
equipment,  your  daily  work,  how  the  classes  are  arranged, 
promotion  and  graduation  requirements,  and  anything  else 
you  think  you  would  like  to  know  if  you  were  contemplating 
attending  a  school. 


TENTH  LESSON 


Letters  Ordering  Goods 

A  letter  ordering  goods  contains  very  few  words  except 
the  order  and  any  special  instructions  regarding  it.  The 
order  may  be  written  in  the  body  of  the  letter  or  on  a  sep- 


238  Ross's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

arate  sheet.  In  ordering  goods,  state  distinctly  just  what  is 
wanted,  giving  size,  color,  quality,  etc.  If  you  are  ordering 
from  a  catalog,  give  the  catalog  numbers.  Tell  how  the  goods 
are  to  be  shipped,  whether  by  freight,  express  or  parcel  post. 
Place  each  item  on  a  separate  line,  beginning  at  the  regular 
paragraph  point. 

If  remittance  is  made  with  the  order,  state  in  the  letter 
the  exact  amount,  the  form  in  which  it  is  sent — check, 
draft,  or  money  order. 

The  word  ''Enc."  should  appear  at  the  lower  left-hand 
corner  of  your  letter.  Drafts,  checks,  etc.,  are  folded  with 
the  letter.  It  is  well  to  take  the  further  precaution  of 
pinning  them  to  the  letter.  Enclosed  stamps  should  not 
be  stuck  to  the  letter.    Wrap  them  in  oiled  paper : 

(Assume  heading  and  date.) 
Gentlemen : 

Please  send  me  by  parcel  post : 
I  pr.  Steel  Pliers  No.  6K9101  $0.09 

I  Minnow  Net  No.  6K9103  .68 

I  Trout  Basket  No.  6K9036  .95 

I  Keystone  Fish  Stringer  No.  9091  .11 

I  enclose  P.  O.  Money  Order  for  $1.90  to  cover  pur- 
chase and  postage. 

Yours  truly, 

John  Harmon. 

Exercise 

I.  Order  from  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co.,  Chicago, 
I  Columbian  Wrench  No.  19K2241  ;  2  sets  Harris  Puncture 
Plug  No.  19K2266,  36c ;  I  New  Departure  Cyclometer  No. 
19K2221,  65c.  To  be  shipped  by  express.  Remit  by  ex- 
press money  order. 


ROSSES   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  239 

2.  Write  to  a  stationery  store  ordering  copies  of  four 
different  books.    Ask  them  to  send  bill  for  the  amount. 

3.  Order  a  list  of  groceries  of  six  items  from  a  wholesale 
house  for  your  store  in  a  small  town. 

ELEVENTH  LESSON 


Collection  Letters 

The  writing  of  a  letter  requesting  payment  calls  for  the 
use  of  tact  and  judgment.  A  discourteous  reminder  of 
debt  may  serve  only  to  defer  payment  indefinitely.  A 
blunt,  threatening  letter,  such  as  is  sometimes  sent  out 
by  short-sighted  collection  agencies,  may  get  the  money, 
but  it  will  also  cause  the  loss  of  the  customer.  It  is  a  matter 
of  good  policy  for  a  business  man  to  adopt  that  method 
that  will  most  likely  not  only  bring  the  money,  but  also 
retain  the  good  will  and  patronage  of  the  debtor. 

The  first  letter  should  be  a  courteous  reminder,  assuming 
that  the  failure  to  pay  is  an  oversight : 

Dear  Sir: 

The  enclosed  statement  of  your  account  will  show 
that  a  balance  of  $92  is  slightly  overdue.  Not  having 
heard  from  you  to  the  contrary,  we  assume  the  goods  were 
satisfactory  in  every  way,  and  that  the  bill  rendered  on  the 
first  of  the  month,  no  doubt,  was  overlooked  by  you. 

Yours  truly, 

The  second  letter  may  be  made  a  little  more  emphatic : 


240  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Dear  Sir: 

We  regret  having  to  write  you  again  in  regard  to  your 
overdue  account  of  $92,  about  which  we  wrote  you  two 
weeks  ago. 

This  is  an  important  matter  with  us,  and  we  shall 
appreciate  it  very  much  if  you  give  it  your  immediate 
attention. 

Yours  very  truly, 

The  degree  of  firmness  to  be  used  in  subsequent  letters 
depends  upon  so  many  things  that  it  is  difficult  to  give 
advice.  It  may  be  that  the  debtor's  slowness  is  not  caused 
by  either  lack  of  funds  or  dishonesty.  It  may  be  due  to 
negligence.  Of  course,  this  is  inexcusable ;  but  if  the  cred- 
itor knows  the  account  is  good,  that  he  will  get  his  money 
finally,  and  can  afford  to  carry  it  on  his  books  for  a  con- 
siderable length  of  time,  he  will  not  resort  to  methods  that 
will  result  in  the  loss  of  the  trade. 

Ordinarily,  however,  the  desirability  of  the  customer 
decreases  as  the  term  of  his  delinquency  increases.  In  this 
case  the  third  letter  is  written  in  a  rather  firm  tone : 

Dear  Sir : 

We  are  still  without  a  reply  to  our  letter  or  a  check 
covering  your  account  of  $92. 

You  know  that  our  terms  are  strictly  30  days  net,  and 
it  is  altogether  unreasonable  for  you  to  let  this  account 
run  so  long.  We  have  written  you  under  dates  of  August  10 
and  August  20.  We  must  now  ask  that  you  kindly  give 
this  matter  atttention  and  see  that  check  comes  forward 
promptly. 

Yours  truly, 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  24I 

If  the  third  letter  fails,  the  fourth  would  probably  be 
something  like  this : 

Dear  Sir : 

We  are  greatly  disappointed  that  you  have  failed  to 
respond  to  our  request  of  September  4  for  a  remittance  to 
cover  your  account  of  $92,  as  per  September  first  statement. 

It  is  essential  that  we  make  this  collection  promptly. 
We  are,  therefore,  forced  to  state  that  if  your  remittance 
does  not  reach  us  not  later  than  Tuesday,  September  22, 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  make  sight  draft. 

We  prefer  to  have  you  remit. 

Yours  truly. 

If  you  have  finally  to  place  the  account  in  the  hands  of 
a  lawyer  or  a  collection  agency,  you  would  probably  write : 

Dear  Sir  : 

Much  to  our  regret,  we  have  been  forced  to  place  your 
account  of  $92  in  the  hands  of  our  attorney,  Mr.  J.  L. 
Holmes,  635  Hawley  Building,  Providence,  R.  I.  You  will 
hear  from  him  at  once 

Yours  truly, 

It  is  not  out  of  place  to  say  a  word  here  to  the  customer. 
In  a  great  majority  of  cases  you  can  tell  beforehand  when 
you  are  not  going  to  be  able  to  meet  your  obligations.  As 
soon  as  you  know  this,  you  should  ask  for  an  extension  of 
time.  In  making  this  request  state  the  reason  for  having 
to  ask  the  favor,  and  tell  about  when  you  will  be  able  to 
pay: 


242  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

Dear  Sir : 

I  regret  being  compelled  to  ask  an  extension  of  time  on 
my  account  with  you  which  becomes  due  on  October  first. 

The  plant  in  which  I  am  employed,  the  Homewood 
Tool  Works,  has  been  compelled  to  close  down  for  two  or 
three  weeks  on  account  of  business  depression  brought  on 
by  the  European  War.  I  am  assured  that  they  will  resume 
about  the  first  of  the  month,  in  which  case  I  shall  be  able 
to  pay  you  by  October  15. 

Hoping  you  can  see  your  way  clear  to  grant  this  ex- 
tension, I  am. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Exercise 

1.  Write  to  your  customer,  E.  R.  Grant,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  calling  attention  to  his  failure  to  pay  his  account  of 
$25,  due  ten  days  ago.  Mr.  Grant  is  a  good  customer  who 
seldom  fails  to  discount  his  bills. 

2.  Mr.  A.  J.  Holt,  Meriden,  Conn.,  has  sent  you  an  order 
amounting  to  $65.20.  He  already  has  an  account  with  you 
of  $50  which  is  thirty  days  past  due.  He  has  been  habitually 
slow  in  settling.  Write  him  explaining  that  you  can  not 
accept  this  order  until  the  old  account  is  paid. 

3.  James  Brown,  Hagerstown,  Md.,  owes  you  $125. 
You  have  written  three  times.  Write  him  a  strong  letter, 
the  last  one  before  placing  account  in  the  hands  of  an 
attorney. 

4.  Write  W.  A.  Gilbert,  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  notifying  him 
you  will  make  draft  in  ten  days  if  you  do  not  receive  pay- 
ment of  his  bill  of  $82. 

5.  Your  account  of  $25  with  the  Middleton  Grocery  Co. 
will  be  due  in  ten  days.  Write  asking  for  an  extension  of 
time. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  243 

TWELFTH  LESSON 


Telegrams  and  Cablegrams 

A  telegram  is  a  telegraphic  message  sent  wholly  by  land. 

In  a  telegram  the  salutation  and  complimentary  close  are 
omitted.  It  is  written  in  as  few  words  as  possible  consistent 
with  clearness  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  receiver. 

The  telegraph  companies  charge  a  minimum  amount  for 
ten  words  or  less.  An  additional  charge  is  made  for  each 
additional  word.  These  charges  are  based  upon  the  distance 
the  message  goes  and  the  amount  of  work  required  to  get 
it  to  its  destination.  No  charge  is  made  for  the  address  or 
signature. 

If,  in  order  to  avoid  any  possible  error  in  transmission, 
the  sender  desires  the  receiving  operator  to  repeat  the 
message  to  the  one  who  sent  it,  an  additional  charge  of 
one-half  the  original  cost  is  made. 

In  counting  the  words  in  a  telegram,  every  individual 
figure,  character,  or  initial  letter  is  considered  as  one  word. 
500  would  be  three  words.  It  should  be  written  five  hun- 
dred. 

In  a  night  letter  (a  message  sent  at  night  when  the  oper- 
ators are  not  so  busy)  fifty  words  are  sent  at  the  same  rate 
as  the  day  telegram,  with  an  additional  charge  per  word 
for  additional  words. 

Telegrams  sent  at  night  to  be  delivered  the  following 
morning  are  taken  at  reduced  rates. 

In  a  day  letter,  which  is  handled  as  a  "deferred  service" 
and  not  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  regular  day  messages, 
fifty  words  are  sent  for  one  and  one-half  times  the  cost  of 
a  regular  day  telegram. 

Money  may  be  transferred  by  telegraph.      Deposits  for 


244  ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLlSa 

transfer  must  be  made  in  bankable  money.  Fractional 
parts  of  a  dollar  are  not  transferred.  The  order  trans- 
ferring money  may  require  identification  of  the  payee,  or 
it  may  waive  identification. 

Receipt  of  telegrams  should  be  promptly  acknowledged, 
either  by  letter  or  by  telegram,  depending  upon  the  degree 
of  promptness  required. 

Because  of  the  expense  involved  in  sending  messages,  the 
code  system  is  widely  used.  A  code  is  a  series  of  arbitrary 
words,  each  signifying  a  certain  expression.  Thus,  Bluebeard 
fishjoint  may  mean :  Impossible  to  collect  claim.  Debtor 
is  bankrupt.  There  are  many  code  systems  in  use.  Any 
business  firm  may  devise  its  own.  The  ABC  Western 
Union  code  is  in  very  general  use. 

The  use  of  a  code  is  particularly  advantageous  in  sending 
cablegrams  (which  are  sent  by  means  of  submarine  cables) 
because  of  the  much  greater  cost.  It  costs  25  cents  a  word 
to  send  a  cablegram  from  New  York  to  London.  A  charge 
is  made  for  name  and  address  of  the  one  to  whom  the  cable- 
gram is  sent. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  the  condensation  possible 
(and  necessary)  in  a  telegram : 

Dear  Sir : 

Mr.  James  authorizes  me  to  offer  you  $1500  for  nine- 
month  term.  Please  inform  me  at  once  whether  you  will 
accept. 

Yours  truly, 

J.  L.  Garmor. 
Telegram : 

James  offers  fifteen  hundred  nine  months.  Will  you 
accept  ? 

J.  L.  Garmor. 

The  reply  to  the  above  letter  would  be  something  like  this : 


ROSS*S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  i^4S 

Dear  Mr.  Garmor : 

Replying  to  your  letter,  I  have  decided  to  accept  Mr. 
James's  offer  of  $1500  for  nine  months.  You  may  send 
contract,  which  I  will  sign  and  return  promptly. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  B.  Knox. 

Telegram : 

Accept  James's  offer.     Send  contract. 

A.  B.  Knox. 

In  business  it  is  customary  to  confirm  a  telegram  ;    that 
is,  to  write  a  letter  containing  the  contents  of  the  telegram  : 

Dear  Sir : 

We  have  wired  you  today  as  follows  :  "Camping  outfit 
short  three  items.     Writing." 

We  are  greatly  disappointed  of  course,  as  we  expected 
to  set  out  immediately  on  receipt  of  the  outfit.  We  hope 
that  you  have  already  discovered  that  the  items  referred  to 
are  one  No.  3  hammock,  one  "sure  catch"  minnow  trap,  and 
one  utiHty  camping  box. 

Please  wire  when   these  are  sent  forward. 

Yours  very  truly, 

James  Fox. 


Exercise 

Convert  the  following  series  of  items  into  telegrams  of 
as  few  words  as  possible.     Make  them  intelligible : 

I.  To  the  Gregg  Publishing  Co.,  New  York,  ordering 
25  copies  of  Shorthand  manual  and  25  copies  of  Office 
Training  outfits  by  express. 


246  ROSS*S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 

Write  the  letter  that  should  follow. 

2.  To  W.  S.  Allen,  Chattanooga.  Tenn.,  asking  if  he 
will  deliver  a  course  of  ten  lectures  in  your  school,  when  he 
can  come,  and  what  his  fee  will  be. 

3.  To  a  friend  in  Baltimore  saying  that  you  will  pass 
through  that  city  on  a  certain  date  and  would  like  to  see 
him  at  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Station. 

4.  To  someone  of  your  home  people  saying  that  you 
have  been  in  a  railroad  wreck  between  Pittsburgh  and 
Erie,  but  that  you  are  only  slightly  injured  and  will  be  home 
in  a  few  days. 

5.  To  a  friend  telling  him  of  a  vacancy  in  the  office  in 
which  you  are  employed — a  position  as  stenographer  paying 
$75  a  month  with  splendid  opportunities  for  advancement. 
You  have  recommended  him. 

6.  To  a  man  in  New  York  with  whom  you  have  an 
appointment  saying  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  you  to 
come,  owing  to  the  fact  that  you  have  been  injured  in  an 
automobile  accident. 

7.  To  a  man  who  owes  you,  asking  him  if  you  may  draw 
on  him  for  amount  due. 

8.  To  a  firm  from  whom  you  have  received  a  rush  order, 
stating  when  and  how  the  goods  were  shipped  and  that  you 
will  have  them  traced. 

9.  To  the  Blain  Grocery  Co.,  Chicago,  for  whom  you 
are  traveling  salesman.  You  are  running  short  of  money. 
Ask  them  to  send  you  fiftv  dollars  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
tomorrow. 

10.  Write  a  suitable  letter  to  follow  telegram  No.   7. 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  247 

THIRTEENTH  LESSON 


Circular  Letters 

It  is  frequently  desirable  to  write  letters  to  a  number  of 
people,  conveying  the  same  message  to  all.  It  would  be  a 
waste  of  time  to  write  separate  letters.  So  for  this  purpose 
circular  letters  are  used.  They  should  be  prepared  with 
much  care,  should  be  neat  in  appearance,  and  clear  in 
expression.  The  required  number  of  copies  are  run  on  a 
duplicating  machine,  and  the  names  and  addrCvSses  are 
filled  in  on  the  typewriter.  Care  should  be  taken  to  have 
name  and  address  match  body  of  letter  in  type,  margin, 
and  color. 

They  are  used  for  making  announcements  of  general 
interest;  as,  notifications  of  changes  in  partnerships,  re- 
movals, instructions  to  agents,  special  sales  and  offers, 
answering  inquiries,  etc. 

Boston,  Mass.,  Oct.  28,  1914. 
Mr.  Frank  Brown, 

Canton,  N.  Dak. 
Dear  Sir : 

On  January  first  a  change  will  take  place  in  the  man- 
agement of  our  business.  Mr.  J.  L.  Poland  will  retire  from 
the  firm,  and  will  be  succeeded  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Thurman. 

We  are  desirous  of  having  all  outstanding  accounts 
settled  before  January  first,  and  are  writing  you  to  request, 
as  a  special  favor,  payment  of  yours,  as  per  enclosed  state- 
ment,  at  your  early  convenience. 

Soliciting  a  continuance  of  your  patronage,  we  remain, 

Yours  very  truly. 


248  Ross's   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

While  a  circular  letter  must  necessarily  be  general  in  tone, 
every  effort  should  be  made  to  avoid  stereotyped  expres- 
sions. Give  it  as  much  personal  touch  as  possible.  It  is 
sometimes  considered  good  policy,  especially  where  the 
circular  is  long,  to  write  a  brief  personal  letter  to  be  enclosed 
with  the  circular. 

Exercises 

1.  J.  B.  Walker  has  purchased  the  grocery  business  of 
A.  L.  Wilson.  Prepare  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  Mr.  Wilson's 
customers  announcing  this  fact  and  soliciting  their  patronage. 
Express  Mr.  Walker's  assurance  that  the  former  efficient 
management  will  be  continued  ;  that  no  effort  will  be  spared 
in  his  endeavor  to  please  and  to  retain  their  good  will  and 
patronage. 

2.  E.  B.  Porter  will  move  .his  dry  goods  store  into  new 
quarters  ten  days  hence.  He  is  offering  a  reduction  of 
25%  on  everything  in  stock.  Give  this  letter  a  personal 
touch.  Say  that  you  appreciate  past  patronage ;  that  you 
want  to  see  the  reader  get  some  of  the  bargains.  Invite 
him  to  come  early. 

3.  The  partnership  existing  between  B.  F.  Weeks  and 
J.  N.  Dinsmore,  of  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  has  been  dissolved 
by  the  death  of  J.  N.  Dinsmore.  All  claims  will  be  settled 
by  the  surviving  partner,  B.  F.  Weeks.  The  business  will  be 
continued  under  the  same  title  and  firm  name,  the  interest 
of  Mr.  Dinsmore  having  been  assumed  by  his  widow. 
Write  a  circular  letter  in  the  name  of  Weeks  and  Dinsmore, 
embodying  the  above  facts. 

4.  As  representative  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  prepare 
an  appropriate  circular  letter  to  send  in  reply  to  inquiries 
for  folder,  "Westward  Ho!"  Say  that  you  are  enclosing 
folder.    Ask  that  it  be  read  carefully.    Ask  the  reader  to 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH  249 

indicate  what  points  he  contemplates  visiting.  Offer  your 
services  in  selecting  routes,  making  reservations,  and  giving 
any  desired  information.  The  letters  are  to  be  mailed  from 
the  Santa  Fe  offices  in  Chicago. 

Besides  this  general  use,  the  circular  letter  is  used  for 
the  purpose  of  soliciting  trade.  This  is  known  as  the  sales 
letter.    It  is  discussed  in  the  next  lesson. 


FOURTEENTH  LESSON 


The  Selling  Letter 

Selling  letters  are  the  most  important  of  all  business 
correspondence.  A  large  number  of  books  have  been  de- 
voted exclusively  to  this  class  of  letters,  and  persons  who 
can  write  effective  sales  letters  can  and  do  command  large 
salaries. 

A  sales  letter  is  a  sales  talk  on  paper.  The  purpose  of 
a  sales  talk,  whether  written  or  verbal,  is  to  bring  about 
action  on  the  part  of  the  prospective  buyer.  The  one  thing 
above  all  others  to  be  avoided  in  a  sales  letter  is  rambling. 
The  introduction  of  nonessentials,  or  even  an  illogical 
arrangement  of  essential  elements,  detract  from  its  directness. 

The  writer  of  a  successful  sales  letter,  like  a  builder, 
follows  a  plan.  Of  a  hundred  buildings,  no  two  may  look 
alike.  A  cornice  here,  a  dormer  there,  make  the  finished 
structures  look  different.  But  in  the  construction  of  the 
vital  part,  the  framework,  the  same  things  were  done,  and 
in  the  same  order  in  each  building.  The  starting  point  was 
the  same  in  each  case,  the  foundation.  It  was  so  with  the 
second  and  subsequent  steps,  to  the  placing  of  the  capstone. 

The  same  principle  applies  to  a  sales  letter.     It  must 


250  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

proceed  through  certain  steps.     It  must  be  based  logically 
upon  the  principles  of  salesmanship. 
The  first  step  is 


The  Opening 

The  sole  purpose  of  the  opening  is  to  win  the  reader's 
attention  and  prompt  him  to  go  farther  into  the  letter. 
Many  a  letter  kills  its  effectiveness  by  beginning  with  a 
hackneyed,  stereotyped  expression :  I  have  the  honor  to 
inform  you,  or.  In  reply  to  yours  of  recent  date,  I  beg  to 
state.  Some  letter  writers  are  always  begging.  What 
salesman  would  use  such  expressions  in  introducing  himself 
to  a  prospective  buyer? 

Many  ways  have  been  used  for  getting  attention. 

Some  writers  use  what  correspond  to  catch-lines  in  ad- 
vertising : 

Dear  Sir: 

AN  OPPORTUNITY  FOR  YOU! 

Dear  Sir: 

CUT  YOUR  COAL  BILL  IN  TWO! 

Another  means  of  riveting  attention  is  the  use  of  the  word 
You.  Most  people  are  interested  in  themselves.  This  can 
easily  be  overdone,  however.  If  we  appear  oversolicitous 
of  the  other  person's  interest,  especially  if  he  is  a  stranger 
to  us,  he  is  likely  to  become  at  least  suspicious. 

The  following  opening  appeals  directly  to  the  reader's 
needs : 

Dear  Mr.  French : 

You  will  soon  be  wanting  supplies  for  the  new  plant 
you  are  erecting. 


ROSS*S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH  25 1 

Arousing  Interest 

The  second  step  in  the  development  of  a  sales  letter  is  to 
create  interest.  As  in  the  case  of  securing  attention,  various 
methods  are  used.  One  is  the  human  interest  touch.  For 
instance,  a  dealer  in  boys'  clothing  would  get  the  mother's 
interest  by  explaining  just  how  he  can  supply  the  boy's 
needs.  The  most  common  method  is  through  description 
or  explanation,  or  both.  Note  the  further  development  of 
the  letter  illustrated   under  the   preceding  caption. 

In  the  second  paragraph  the  writer  arouses  interest  by 
showing  understanding  of  the  reader's  needs : 

Dear  Mr.  French  : 

You  will  soon  be  wanting  supplies  for  the  new  plant 
you  are  erecting. 

And  you  know  what  a  trying  proposition  supply  buying 
is  when  you  have  to  obtain  your  equipment  from  a  dozen 
different  sources.  There  are  sure  to  be  some  parts  to  go 
back  for  alterations ;  there  will  be  delayed  shipments  on 
some  goods  that  will  hold  up  all.  You  have  been  saying  to 
yourself  how  much  quicker  and  easier  and  better  you  could 
put  your  plant  in  shape  if  you  could  get  somewhere  a  com- 
plete equipment  that  would  meet  your  needs. 

Creating  Desire 

The  third  step  is  to  create  desire.  This  is  done  by  argu- 
ment and  proof.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  explain  your  propo- 
sition, and  express  your  own  personal  convictions ;  you 
must  prove  your  claims,  and  do  it  quickly.  You  must 
show  the  customer  where  he  will  gain  by  the  purchase. 
This  gain  may  be  in  money,  comfort,  satisfaction,  well-being, 
or  happiness,  or  in  all  these.     This  conviction  is  brought 


252  ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

about  in  different  ways.  One  way  is  to  offer  to  sell  with 
the  understanding  that  money  is  to  be  refunded  in  case  of 
dissatisfaction.  A  testimonial,  if  it  is  direct  and  complete, 
may  be  used  to  good  advantage.  A  testimonial  in  which  the 
name  and  address  are  omitted  is  prima  facie  evidence  of 
insincerity. 

The  third  paragraph  of  the  letter  here  under  discussion 
begins  argument: 

That  is  just  what  we  are  ready  to  install  for  you 
on  an  hour's  notice — a  complete  equipment  that  will 
meet  your  most  exacting  demands — in  economy  of 
operation — in  day-in-and-day-out  wearing  quality. 


Persuasion 

The  next  element  is  persuasion,  by  means  of  which  the 
reader  is  brought  to  your  way  of  thinking  by  being  shown 
that  the  goods  offered  are  adapted  to  his  present  needs. 

In  the  fourth  paragraph  of  our  letter  argument  is  backed 
by  proof  in  citing  a  specific  article  and  price.  The  element 
of  persuasion  is  brought  into  play  in  the  close  of  the  para- 
graph : 

And  because  we  can  furnish  you  with  every  item 
of  equipment  that  you  need,  we  can  do  it  at  a  bed- 
rock minimum  of  cost  to  you.  The  catalog  enclosed  is 
a  perfect  directory  of  plant  equipment.  Go  over  it  very 
carefully ;  note  particularly  the  special  prices  quoted 
on  "Star  Brand"  belting.  This  is  made  in  our  own 
factory  from  the  very  choicest  oak-tanned  stock.  In 
actual  tests  it  has  proved  its  ability  to  outwear  three 
times  over  any  other  belting  at  the  same  price  on  the 
market.    And  this  is  just  one  item — ^just  to  give  you  an 


ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  253 

idea  of  the  price  and  quality  we  could  give  you  in 
furnishing  your  plant  complete. 


Inducement 

The  next  step  is  to  give  the  reader  a  particular  or  extra 
reason  for  buying  now. 


The  Climax,  or  Clincher 

The  climax,  or  clincher,  prompts  him  to  act  at  once,  and 
makes  it  easy  for  him  to  do  so. 

In  the  closing  paragraph,  the  reader  is  urged  to  act  at 
once  and  is  offered  an  inducement  in  service.  He  is  given 
something  to  do  at  once : 

You  simply  can  not  afford  to  buy  a  dollar's  worth 
of  supplies  until  you  know  our  rock-bottom  prices  for 
the  entire  equipment.  Fill  out  and  mail  the  enclosed 
specification  blank  today.  Our  prices  and  full  particu- 
lars will  come  by  return  mail. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Now  study  the  whole  letter,  noting  the  six  elements : 
attention,  interest,  desire,  conviction,  inducement,  climax : 

Dear  Mr.  French  : 

You  will  soon  be  wanting  supplies  for  the  new 
plant  you  are  erecting. 

And  you  know  what  a  trying  proposition  supply 
buying  is  when  you  have  to  obtain  your  equipment 
from  a  dozen  different  sources.  There  are  sure  to  be 
some  parts  to  go  back  for  alterations;    there  will  be 


254  ROSS  S  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

delayed  shipments  on  some  goods  that  will  hold  up  all. 
You  have  been  saying  to  yourself  how  much  quicker 
and  easier  and  better  you  could  put  your  plant  in  shape 
if  you  could  get  somewhere  a  complete  equipment 
that  would  meet  your  needs. 

That  is  just  what  we  are  ready  to  install  for  you 
on  an  hour's  notice — a  complete  equipment  that  will 
meet  your  most  exacting  demands — in  economy  of 
operation — in  day-in-and-day-out  wearing  quality. 

And  because  we  can  furnish  you  with  every  item 
of  equipment  that  you  need,  we  can  do  it  at  a  bed-rock 
minimum  of  cost  to  you.  The  catalog  enclosed  is  a 
perfect  directory  of  plant  equipment.  Go  over  it  very 
carefully.  Note  particularly  the  special  prices  quoted 
on  "Star  Brand"  belting.  This  is  made  in  our  own 
factory  from  the  very  choicest  oak-tanned  stock.  In 
actual  tests  it  has  proved  its  ability  to  outwear  three 
times  over  any  other  belting  at  the  same  price  on  the 
market.  And  this  is  just  one  item — ^just  to  give  you  an 
idea  of  the  price  and  quality  we  could  give  you  in 
furnishing  your  plant  complete. 

You  simply  can  not  afford  to  buy  a  dollar's  worth 
of  supplies  until  you  know  our  rock-bottom  prices  for 
the  entire  equipment.  Fill  out  and  mail  the  enclosed 
specification  blank  today.  Our  prices  and  full  partic- 
ulars will  come  by  return  mail. 

Very  truly  yours, 


Exercise 

I.  You  are  manufacturing  a  kind  of  roofing  known  as 
Flintoid.  Prepare  copy  for  a  letter  to  be  sent  to  house- 
owners. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH  255 

Win  attention  by  asking  the  reader  if  he  believes  in  fire 
protection,  and  what  about  protection  from  the  other 
elements. 

Arouse  interest  by  reminding  him  of  the  possibility  of 
his  shingle  roof's  leaking,  causing  the  ruin  of  some  of  the 
contents  of  his  home.  Explain  that  sooner  or  later  shingles 
are  bound  to  warp  and  pull  out  nails,  allowing  the  rain  to 
beat  in;    that  they  rot  quickly. 

Introduce  argument,  saying  it  isn't  necessary  to  run  the 
risk ;  that  absolute  protection  can  be  gotten  through  the 
use  of  Flintoid,  and  at  no  more  than  the  cost  of  ordinary 
shingles.  Flintoid  will  withstand  almost  indefinitely  the 
most  severe  weather  conditions. 

Explain  that  it  is  made  of  the  best  raw  materials ;  that 
it  is  laid  in  three  layers,  and  over  that  a  red  coat  that  soon 
oxidizes.  This  makes  a  surface  solid  as  slate,  unaffected 
by  weather. 

Introduce  the  element  of  persuasion  by  suggesting  that 
he  figure  how  long  since  his  roof  was  put  on.  Ask  him  if 
he  can  trust  it  longer.  As  an  inducement  say  that  Flintoid 
can  be  laid  right  over  the  old  roof ;  that  cost  includes  nails 
and  cement,  and  you  pay  the  freight. 

As  a  clincher,  ask  him  to  fill  in  dimensions  of  roof  on 
enclosed  order  blank  and  mail  today. 

2.  Prepare  a  letter  advertising  the  Wilbur  gasoline 
engine.  Find  a  good  opening  sentence,  one  that  will  get 
the  attention  of  the  reader — a  user  of  gasoline  engines,  of 
course. 

The  inventor  had  several  years'  experience  installing 
gasoline  engines  before  beginning  to  manufacture  his  own. 
He  appreciates  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  make  ad- 
justments without  having  to  send  for  a  special  man.  All 
the  parts  of  the  Wilbur  are  in  plain  view  and  easy  to  get 
at.    To  remove  the  sparker  one  simply  removes  two  nuts. 


^$6  Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 

The  governor  is  the  same  type  used  on  highest  grade 
steam  engines — allows  speeding  up  or  slowing  down  while 
engine  is  running.  Very  handy.  Few  built  so.  Extra  cost, 
but  gives  extra  satisfaction. 

We  guarantee  everything  we  sell.  Have  four  thousand 
customers  in  your  state.  No  doubt  someone  living  not  far 
from  you  has  a  Wilbur.    Ask  what  he  thinks  of  it. 

Not  a  cheap  machine  at  a  high  price,  but  high-grade 
machine  at  a  low  price. 

Ask  for  reply  stating  requirements. 

Enclose  Bulletin  "B." 

3.  You  make  a  business  of  reinking  duplicating  ribbons. 
Prepare  a  letter.  Get  attention  by  reminding  reader  that 
he  doesn't  throw  away  a  fountain  pen  when  the  ink  is  ex- 
hausted. We  can  reink  ribbons.  Examine  apparently  worth- 
less ribbon.  Fabric  is  scarcely  worn.  We  treat  with  special 
process,  return  as  good  as  new,  at  one-half  original  cost. 
Read  enclosed  folder — explains  proposition.  Trial  will 
convince.  Sooner  you  send,  more  you  will  save.  Pack 
them  up,  put  on  enclosed  shipping  label,  send  them  now. 

4.  Prepare  letter  to  send  to  school  teachers  advertising 
Gramino,  an  educational  game  designed  for  teaching 
principles  of  grammar.  Gramino  is  to  beginner  in  grammar 
what  the  chart  is  to  reading  class  and  numeral  frame  to 
beginners  in  number  work.  Three  games  in  one.  Contains 
right  proportion  of  luck  and  skill  to  delight  beginner  and 
fascinate  seasoned  grammarian.  Invented  by  teacher  of 
twenty  years*  experience.  Will  send  on  approval.  Sign 
enclosed  postcard  and  mail  today. 

Arrange  the  above  facts  in  the  order  that  will  make  the 
letter  most  effective. 

5.  Prepare  a  letter  advertising  one  of  the  following 
articles,  or  some  other : 


Ross's  BUSIiSTESS  ENGLtSa  ^$f 

A  bicycle,  an  automobile,  a  typewriter,  a  book  or  set  of 
books,  a  kitchen  cabinet,  a  course  of  study. 

Before  beginning  to  write  the  letter,  make  an  outline  of 
the  points  you  wish  to  discuss  and  see  that  they  are  arranged 
in  logical  order — attention,  interest,  desire,  etc. 


Follow-Up  Letters 

A  series  of  letters  is  usually  prepared  for  the  purpose 
of  arousing  the  interest  of  those  who  have  failed  to  respond 
to  the  circular  or  sales  letter.  These  are  called  follow-up 
letters.  Considerable  experience  is  required  before  one  can 
be  expected  to  write  good  follow-up  matter.  Each  letter 
should  be  a  natural  sequence  to  the  preceding  ones,  and  yet 
should  be  complete  in  itself.  If  possible  each  should  be 
more  emphatic  than  the  one  preceding  it.  The  series  of 
letters  given  in  the  lesson  on  collection  letters  will  serve 
as  an  illustration.  In  a  series  of  follow-up  letters  designed 
to  sell  a  specific  product,  the  prospect  should  be  approached 
from  a  different  angle  in  each.  The  arguments  relating 
to  the  article  may  be  limited,  but  a  number  of  ways  of  pre- 
senting them  can  always  be  found.  One  of  the  most  familiar 
methods  is  limiting  the  time  of  the  offer.  Here  is  part  of 
a  follow-up  letter  used  by  a  land  agent  : 

Do  not  send  me  any  money  after  the  15th.  If  you 
do,  it  will  surely  be  returned,  unless  you  are  willing 
to  pay  me  the  new  rate  of  $30.00  per  acre  instead  of 
I25.00. 

I  have  some  regard  for  the  men  who  made  in- 
quiries when  our  proposition  was  young — before  it 
fairly  got  on  its  feet.  That  is  why  I  am  including  you 
in  this  offer — because  you  were  one  of  our  original 
inquirers. 


258 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


Remember,  no  acceptance  of  the  old  rate  after  the 
above  date.    The  land  is  even  now  worth  more. 

To  the  teacher — Follow-up  letters  to  follow  some  of  the 
letters  In  Lesson  13  and  Lesson  14  may  be  assigned  here. 


COMMERCIAL  CHARACTERS 


At m 

Account % 

Per  centum,   or,  by  the 

hundred % 

Care  of c/o 

Cents ff 

Dollars $ 

Pounds  Sterling £ 


Pounds # 

Check  mark V 

Old  account O  % 

New  account N  % 

Three  and  one-fourth ...  3^ 
Eight  and  two-fourths.  .8* 
Five  and  three-fourths .  .  5' 


ABBREVIATIONS  OF  TITLES 


Administrator Admr. 

Admiral Adm. 

Corresponding  Secretary. Cor.  Sec. 

Cashier Cash. 

Colonel Col. 

Captain Capt. 

Doctor  of  Divinity D.  D. 

Doctor  of  Medicine M.  D. 

Doctor  of  Philosophy .  .  .  Ph.  D. 
Doctor  of  Civil  Law.  .  .  .  D.  C.  L. 

Doctor  of  Laws LL.  D. 

Esquire Esq. 

General Gen. 

Gentlemen Messrs. 

Governor Gov. 

Honorable Hon. 


Librarian Lib. 

Lieutenant Lieut. 

Member  of  Congress. . . .  M.  C. 
Member  of  Parliament.  .M.  P. 

Mistress Mrs. 

Mister Mr. 

Professor Prof. 

Principal Prin. 

President Pres. 

Reverend Rev. 

Right  Honorable Rt.  Hon. 

Recording  Secretary ....  Rec.  Sec. 

Secretary Sec. 

Superintendent Supt. 

Treasurer Treas. 

Vice-President V.-Pres't 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


259 


ABBREVIATIONS   OF   THE  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES 


As  Recommended  by  the  Postoffice  Department 


Alabama Ala. 

Alaska Alaska 

Arizona Ariz. 

Arkansas Ark. 

California Cal. 

Colorado Colo. 

Connecticut Conn. 

Delaware Del. 

District  of  Columbia. .  .  .  D.  C. 

Florida Fla. 

Georgia Ga. 

Idaho Idaho 

Illinois 111. 

Indiana Ind. 

Iowa Iowa 

Kansas Kans. 

Kentucky Ky. 

Louisiana La. 

Maine Maine 

Maryland Md. 

Massachusetts Mass. 

Michigan Mich. 

Minnesota Minn. 

Mississippi Miss. 

Missouri Mo. 

Montana Mont. 

Nebraska Nebr. 


Nevada Nev. 

New  Hampshire N.  H. 

New  Jersey N.J. 

New  Mexico : N.  Mex. 

New  York ..N.  Y. 

North  Carolina N.  C. 

North  Dakota N.  Dak. 

Ohio Ohio 

Oklahoma Okla. 

Oregon Ore. 

Pennsylvania Pa. 

Philippine  Islands P.  I. 

Porto  Rico P.  R. 

Rhode  Island R.  I. 

Samoa Samoa 

South  Carolina .S.  C. 

South  Dakota S.  Dak. 

Tennessee Tenn. 

Texas Tex. 

Utah Utah 

Vermont Vt. 

Virginia Va. 

Washington Wash. 

Wisconsin Wis. 

West  Virginia W.  Va. 

Wyoming Wyo. 


ABBREVIATIONS  FOR  THE  MONTHS 


January Jan. 

February Feb. 

March Mch. 

April .Apr. 

May May 

June Jun. 


July Jul. 

August Aug. 

September Sept. 

October Oct. 

November Nov. 

December Dec. 


26o 


ROSS  S   BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


COMMERCIAL  ABBREVIATIONS 

Abbreviations  are  subject  to  the  same  rules  of  capitalization  as  the 
words  or  phrases  which  they  represent. 


Acceptance ace. 

Account acct. 

Account  current acct.  cur. 

Account  sales acct.  sales 

Advertisement ad. 

Afternoon p.  m. 

Agent agt. 

Agreement agmt. 

All  correct O.  K. 

Amount amt. 

And  so  forth etc.  or  &c 

Appendix app. 

Article. art. 

Assistant asst. 

Assorted asst. 

Attorney atty. 

Average av. 

Balance bal. 

Bale bL 

Bank bk. 

Bank  book bk.  b. 

Barrel bbl. 

Basket bkt. 

Bill  book b.  bk. 

Bill  of  lading B/L  or  b.  1. 

Bills  payable B/P  or  b.  p. 

Bills  receivable B/R  or  b.  r. 

Bill  rendered .b.  rend. 

Bill  of  sale B/S  or  b.  s. 

Black blk. 

Boards bds. 

Bought bt. 

Box bx. 


Brought brt. 

Brought  over B/O 

Building bldg. 

Bundle bdl. 

Bushel bu. 

Buyer's  option B/O  or  b.  o. 

Buyer's   option   to 

purchase    within 

30  days B.  30  • 

By  the  hundred.  . .  .p.  c. 
By  way  of via 

Capital cap. 

Cartage ctge. 

Cases C/s  or  cs. 

Cents c.  or  cts. 

Charges chgs. 

Collect  on  delivery.  .C.   O.    D. 

Commercial com. 

Commission com. 

Consignment const. 

Copper cop. 

Crate cr. 

Creditor Cr. 

Day da. 

Day  book d.  b. 

Debtor Dr. 

Department dept. 

Deposit dep. 

Discount disct. 

Dividend. div. 

Dozen doz. 

Draft dft. 


Ross's  BUSINESS  ENGLISH 


261 


Dram dr. 

Drayage dray. 

Each ea. 

English Eng. 

Entered entd. 

Errors  and  omissions 

excepted e.  &  o.  e. 

Errors  excepted e.  e. 

Example ex. 

Exchange exch.  or  ex. 

Expense exp. 

Express exp. 

Feet  or  foot ft. 

Figure fig. 

Figured fig'd 

Firkin fir. 

Folio f.  or  fol. 

Foolscap fcp. 

Forenoon a.  m. 

For  example e.  g. 

Forward for'd 

Free  on  board f.  o.  b. 

Freight frt. 

Francs fr. 

French Fr. 

Gallon • gal. 

Gill gi. 

Grain gr. 

Great  gross gr.  gro. 

Gross gro. 

Guarantee guar. 

Half hf. 

Handkerchief hdkf. 

Hogshead hhd. 

Hundred hund.  or  C 

Hundredweight cwt. 


Imported imp. 

Inches in. 

Insolvency insol. 

Instant inst. 

Insurance ins. 

Interest int. 

Inventory invt. 

Invoice inv. 

Invoice  book i.  b. 

Inward  invoice  book,i.  i.  b. 
I  owe  you lOU 

Journal jour. 

Journal  folio jour.  f. 

Junior * Jr. 

Last  month ult. 

Ledger 1.  or  ledg. 

Ledger  folio 1.  f . 

Letter  book 1.  b. 

Limited ltd. 

Long  ton 1.  t. 

Mail    order    depart- 
ment  m.  o.  d. 

Manufactured mfd. 

Manufacturer mfr. 

Manufacturing mfg. 

Manuscript MS 

Manuscripts MSS 

Memorandum mem. 

Merchandise mdse. 

Minute. m.  or  min. 

Namely viz. 

New  ledger n.  1. 

Next  month prox. 

Notary  Public N.  P. 

Note  Book, n.  b. 

Number No.  or  # 

Numbers Nos» 


262 


ROSS's   BUSINESS   ENGLISH 


Old  account o.  a. 

Ounce  or  ounces.  .  .  .oz. 
Outward  Invoice 

Book o.  i.  b. 

Package pkg. 

Page p. 

Pages pp. 

Paid pd. 

Pair pr. 

Pass  book p.  b. 

Payment payt. 

Peck pk. 

Pence d. 

Percent. p.  c. 

Petty  cash  book p.  c.  b. 

Piece pc. 

Pint pt. 

Postoffice p.  o. 

Postscript PS. 

Pound lb.  or  # 

Preferred pref. 

Present  month inst. 

Profit  and  loss p.  &  1. 

Quart qt. 

Quarter qr. 

Railroad R.  R. 

Railroad  bonds r.  bds. 

Railway Ry. 

Received reed. 

Received  payment .  .  reed.  payt. 

Receiver recr. 

Registered reg. 

Returned ret. 

Saint St. 

Sack sk. 

Sales  book s.  b. 

Schooner schr. 


Seller's  option S/O  or  s.  o. 

Senior Sr. 

Shilling s. 

Shipment Shipt. 

Ship sh. 

Share sh. 

Sight  draft st.  dft. 

Square  foot sq.  ft. 

Square  yard sq.  yd. 

Steamboat stbt. 

Steamer str. 

Storage stor. 

Street st. 

Sundries sdy. 

Superfine super. 

Superintendent supt. 

Telegraph tel. 

That  is i.  e. 

The  same do. 

Theyear  of  our  Lord,  .A.  D. 

Thousand M 

Tierces tc. 

Time  book t.  b. 

Transpose tr. 

Treasurer treas. 

Trial  balance t.  b. 

United  States U.  S. 

United  States  Mail*.  .U.  S.  M. 

Versus v.  or  vs. 

Vessel ves. 

Volume vol. 

Waybill w.  b. 

Weight wt. 

Without  dividend.  .  .ex  div. 

Yard yd. 

Year yr. 


INDEX  263 


INDEX 

A 

A,  an,  the 29 

Abbreviations  in  letter  writing 223 

Abbreviations,  commercial 260 

Abbreviations  of  months ■ 259 

Abbreviations  of  states 259 

Abbreviations  of  titles , 258 

Abstract  nouns 2 

Active  voice 42 

Address,  arrangement  of 214 

Address  of  letter 212 

Adjectives 17 

Adjective  and  noun 18 

Adjective,  comparison 22 

Adjective,  compound 20 

Adjective,  placing  of 28 

Adjective,  predicate 44 

Adjective,  review 32 

Adjective,  noun,  verb 39-8i 

Adjective,  noun,  verb,  adverb 84 

Adjective  or  adverb 92 

Absolute  construction,  punctuation 178 

Adverbs 83 

Adverb,  adjective,  noun,  verb 84 

Adverb,  comparison  of 86 

Adverb,  placing  of 87 

Ambiguity 105 

Among  and  between 108 

And,  connecting  subjects 72 

Antecedent  of  preposition lOi 

Antecedent  of  pronoun,  agreement 124 

Antecedents,  collective  nouns  as 127 

Antecedents,  common  gender 128 

Antecedents  connected  by  and 125 


264  INDEX 

Antecedents  connected  by  or,  or  nor 126 

Antecedents  distinguished 127 

Any  one,  either,  neither 26 

Appositive  expressions 170 

Arise,  rise,  raise 66 

Articles 29 

As  and  like 115 

As — as,  so — as 120 

B 

Between  and  among 108 

Body  of  letter,  how  to  arrange 220 

Brackets,  rules  for  use  of 200 

Business  letter,  composition 228 

C 

Can  and  may 67 

Capitalization,  rules  for 153 

Case  after  "to  be" 136 

Case  after  transitive  verbs 137 

Case  forms,  relative  pronouns 131 

Case  forms,  personal  pronouns 134 

Case  with  verbal  noun 141 

Choice  of  preposition 106 

Class  nouns 5 

Clauses  and  phrases 1 14 

Complimentary  closing 224 

Collective  nouns 3 

Collective  noun  as  subject 73 

Colon,  rules  and  examples 163 

Compound  adjectives 20 

Compound  nouns 8 

Compound  participle 47 

Compound  words 206 

Comparison,  irregular 24 

Comparison  of  adjectives 22 

Comparative  and  superlative 24 

Comparison,  errors  in 25 

Complete  predicate 37 

Complete  subject 37 


INDEX  265 

Composition  of  business  letter 228 

Common  gender  antecedents 128 

Comparison  of  adverb 86 

Conjunction 112 

Conjunction  and  preposition 113 

Conjunction,  correlative 118 

Comma,  general  rule 190 

Comma,  rules  and  examples 1 70-1 74-1 78-1 81 -184-190 

Contractions 78 

Copulative  verbs 43 

Comparative  degree 23 

Correlative,  placing 118 

Could  and  might 67 

D 

Dash,  rules  for  use  of 198 

Declension 124 

Definitive  adjective 17 

Degrees  of  comparison 23 

Descriptive  adjectives 17 

Determination,  to  express 56 

Direct  address  expressions,  punctuation 178 

Don't  and  doesn't 77 

Double  negatives 98 

E 

Each  other — one  another 26 

Either,  neither — any  one 26 

Either — or,  neither — nor 119 

Elements,  order  of 38 

Envelope,  how  to  address 227 

Errors  in  comparison 25 

Except,  without,  unless 116 

Exclamation  point,  rules  and  exercises 161 

Explanatory  expressions 170 

F 

First  and  last 27 

Folding  letters 225 

Future  tense 56 

Futurity,  to  express 56 


266  INDEX 


G 


Gender 9 

General  review 149 

Got 79 

Good  and  well 90 

H 

Heading  of  letters 209 

Hyphen  at  end  of  line 204 

Hyphen  in  compound  adjectives 21 

Hyphen  in  compound  words 206 

I 

Imperative  mode ,  .  52 

In  and  into 106 

Indicative  mode 52 

Infinitives 48 

Infinitives,  perfect 50 

Infinitives^  present 50 

Infinitives,  split 49 

Interjections 148 

Interrogation,  rules  and  exercise 158 

Intransitive  verbs 24 

Inverted  expressions,  punctuation  of 178 

Irregular  comparison 24 

Irregular  verbs 60 

L 

Last  and  first 27 

Letter  writing 208 

Letters,  circular 247 

Letters,  collection 239 

Letters,  follow  up 257 

Letters  of  application 228 

Letters  of  inquiry  and  reply 236 

Letters  of  introduction 235 

Letters  of  recommendation 232 

Letters  ordering  goods 237 

Letters,  selling 249 

Lie  and  lay 65 

Like  and  as 115 


INDEX  267 


M 


Margins  and  spacing 222 

May  and  can 67 

Might  and  could 67 

Mode 52 

N 

Negatives,  double 98 

Neither,  either,  any  one 26 

Neither — nor,  either — or 119 

Nominative  case  after  "to  be" 136 

Nor,  antecedents  connected  by 126 

Nor  connecting  subjects 71 

Noun,  adjective,  verb,  adverb 84 

Noun,  verbal,  case  with 141 

Nouns I 

Nouns,  abstract 2 

Nouns  and  adjectives 18 

Nouns,  class 5 

Nouns,  collective 3 

Nouns,  compound 8 

Nouns,  gender 9 

Nouns,  number 6 

Nouns,  possessive  of ? 10 

Noun,  predicate 44 

Nouns,  verbal 4 

Number,  verbs 68 

O 

Object  of  preposition loi 

Object  of  transitive  verb 41 

Objective  after  prepositions 139 

Objective  after  transitive  verb 137 

Omission,  punctuation 181 

One  another — each  other 26 

Or,  antecedents  connected  by 126 

Or  connecting  subjects 71 

Order  of  elements 38 


268  INDEX 


P 


Paragraphing 223 

Parenthesis,  marks  of. 199 

Parentheses  with  other  marks. . 200 

Parenthetical  expressions 171 

Participle  and  verbal  nouns ; 142 

Participle,  compound 47 

Participle,  perfect 47 

Participle,  present 45 

Participle,  the 45 

Passive  voice 42 

Past  tense 55 

Past  tense  and  perfect  participle 63 

Perfect  infinitive. 50 

Perfect  participle 45 

Perfect  tenses 59 

Period,  rules  and  exercise 157 

Person  and  number,  verbs 68 

Phrases  and  clauses 114 

Phrases,  placing  of 105 

Phrases,  prepositional 101-103 

Placing  eidjectives 28 

Placing  of  adverbs 87 

Placing  of  correlatives 118 

Plurals — nouns •. 6 

Positive  degree 23 

Possessive  case  with  verbal  nouns 141 

Possessive  nouns 10-13 

Possessive  pronouns 143 

Predicate 35 

Predicate  adjective 44 

Predicate  noun 44 

Predicate  pronoun 44 

Predicate,  complete 37 

Predicate,  simple 37 

Preposition  and  conjunction 113 

Preposition,  antecedent  of loi 

Preposition,  case  after 139 

Preposition,  choice  of 106 

Preposition,  object  of lOl 


INDEX  269 

Preposition,  omission  of 109 

Preposition,  redundant 109 

Prepositions loi 

Present  infinitive 50 

Present  participle 45 

Present  tense 54 

Principal  parts 60 

Pronoun,  predicate 44 

Pronouns,  adjective 134 

Pronouns,  agreement  with  antecedent 124 

Pronouns,  interrogative 134 

Pronouns,  personal 123 

Pronouns,  personal,  case  forms 134 

Pronouns,  relative 131 

Pronouns,  relative,  case  forms 131 

Proper  adjectives ;  .  .  .  17 

Punctuation 157 

Q 

Quotation,  direct 191 

Quotation,  indirect 193 

Quotation,  short,  punctuation 182 

Quotation  marks  with  other  marks 192 

Quotation  within  quotation 192 

R 

Raise,  rise,  arise 66 

Real  and  very 91 

Relative  pronouns 131 

Restrictive  clauses,  punctuation 185 

Review,  adjectives  and  nouns 33 

Review,  general 149 

Review,  noun,  adjective,  verb  and  adverb 84 

Review,  noun,  adjective,  verb,  adverb  and  preposition.  11 1 

Review,  nouns,  adjectives,  verbs 39~'8i 

Review  of  adjectives 32 

Review  questions 99-120 

Review,  verbs 79 

Rise,  arise,  raise 66 


270  INDEX 

s 

Salutation,  the 218 

Semicolon,  rules  and  exercises 166 

Sentence,  the 35 

Series,  punctuation  of 174 

Set  and  sit 65 

So — as,  as — as 120 

Split  infinitive 49 

Subject 35 

Subject,  complete 37 

Subject,  simple 37 

Subjects,  agreement  of 68 

Subjects,  collective  nouns  as 73 

Subjects  connected  by  and 72 

Subjects  connected  by  or,  or  nor 71 

Subjunctive  mode 52 

Superlative  and  comparative 24 

Superlative  degree 23 

Syllabication,  rules 240 

T 

Telegrams  and  cablegrams 243 

Tense 54 

The,  a,  an 29 

This,  that,  these,  those,  them 26 

Titles 212-215 

"To  be,"  case  after 136 

Too,  misuse  of 89 

To,  too,  two 90 

Transitive  verb,  case  after I37 

Transposed  expressions,  punctuation  of 178 

U 

Unless,  except,  without 116 

.  Unrestrictive  clauses,  punctuation  of 184 

V 

Verb,  adjective,  noun,  adverb 84 

Verbal  noun  and  participle ; 142 


INDEX  271 

Verbal  noun,  possessive  case  with 141 

Verbal  nouns 4 

Verb  phrases 38 

Verbs 37 

Verbs,  copulative 43 

Verbs,  intransitive 42 

Verbs,  irregular 60 

Verbs,  transitive 41 

Verbs,  person  and  number 68 

Verbs,  review  of 79 

Very  and  real 91 

Very,  missuse  of 89 

Voice 42 

W 

Well  and  good 90 

Without,  except,  unless 116 


rB  36490 


